SURFSIDE BEACH, Texas — Recovery efforts continued Monday at Surfside Beach for Joshua Lahai, a Richmond child who disappeared in the water Sunday evening during a beach outing, according to updated reports and Texas EquuSearch.
KPRC 2 reported Monday that search teams recovered shorts belonging to the missing boy and that the effort had shifted toward recovery. The station identified the missing child as Joshua Lahai and reported that he had been visiting Surfside Beach with a little league football team from Richmond, along with family members and friends.
Texas EquuSearch lists the child as missing from Surfside Beach on May 24, 2026, and says he was last seen at about 5:30 p.m. swimming near Ocean Avenue.
According to Texas EquuSearch, the child was about 150 yards offshore with another child when a large wave hit. The other child made it back to shore safely, but Lahai did not resurface.
He was last seen wearing multi-colored shorts, according to the search organization.
Multiple agencies have been involved in the search and recovery effort, including Surfside Beach police, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office, Texas EquuSearch and the U.S. Coast Guard. KPRC 2 reported that the Coast Guard used a fixed-wing aircraft, helicopter and boat crews, while Surfside officers walked the shoreline and used drones to search the water from above.
Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller told KPRC 2 that his team had been working through the night and that about 30 Texas EquuSearch members were at the scene Monday.
The updated search details come after Gulf Coast Times first reported Sunday night that emergency crews had responded to Surfside Beach shortly before 6 p.m. and that the Coast Guard, Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and local agencies were assisting in the search.
Surfside Beach Police Chief Philip Hester previously said crews had used multiple resources as the search expanded along the beach and in the water. Local officers also used long-range binoculars from the third floor of Seahorse Bar and Grill as drones scanned the darkening water Sunday night.
The incident happened during a busy Memorial Day weekend along the upper Texas Gulf Coast, when Surfside Beach and nearby coastal areas often see large crowds.
Beach conditions can change quickly, especially when waves, currents and weather patterns shift. Authorities continue to urge beachgoers to use caution, keep children close in the water and avoid interfering with emergency crews.
Texas EquuSearch says anyone with information connected to the case should contact the Surfside Beach Police Department at (979) 864-2392 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.
This is a developing story and may be updated as more information becomes available.
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