The body of a 25-year-old California firefighter was recovered Thursday morning after he disappeared while swimming in the ocean off a San Diego pier.
The Oakland Fire Department confirmed via Facebook that Caedan Laffan died unexpectedly Thursday morning, and that "drowning appears to be the cause of death."
Laffan's friends and family alerted lifeguards after he walked into the ocean about chest to waist deep near Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach, took a couple of strokes in the water, then disappeared from view.
California Firefighter Dies Unexpectedly After Beach Trip
The San Diego Police Department responded to the scene at 1:56 a.m., and a search began in the coastal area near Grand Avenue.
"We searched for a couple of hours with a rescue boat, land units, and a Coast Guard helicopter," Lt. Rick Romero with the San Diego Fire-Rescue told KTVU. "We weren't able to locate him."
California Firefighter Dies Unexpectedly After Beach Trip
Laffan's body was recovered north of the pier around 4:15 a.m.
"Our lifeguard sergeant spotted him," Romero said. "He had washed onto the beach on the north side of the pier. Unfortunately, incidents happen. And it's just a sad story."
California Firefighter Dies Unexpectedly After Beach Trip
Laffan was in San Diego for the California Firefighter Summer Games, his department said.
"Caeden Laffan was a young enthusiastic member of the Oakland Fire Department, with a bright future ahead of him, and we’re all heartbroken today after learning of this tragic event," Oakland Fire Chief Damon Covington wrote in the department's Facebook post. "Our hearts go out to the entire Laffan family, and all who know him, worked with him, and loved him."
California Firefighter Dies Unexpectedly After Beach Trip
Firefighting was a legacy in Laffan's family, according to KTVU. Laffan's father was the Oakland Fire Department's assistant fire chief before dying of a heart attack in the line of duty in 2020. His grandfather worked as a firefighter, his mother runs a business that offers mental health services to fire crews, and his younger brother Cooper is currently training in the fire academy.
