4 bodies wash up along Southern California in less than 2 weeks

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — The bodies of four people who are believed to have drowned off the Southern California coast have washed ashore in the last 11 days.

Kevin Bechtold, 36, was swimming around 5 a.m. when he died in the water and his body washed up about 30 minutes later Monday, the Orange County Register reported.

On Saturday, the body of Jeffrey Tregaskes, 46, who had gone missing the day before, was recovered.

Dylan Haihuu Duong, 25, was found in the water Aug. 25. And, Louis Alberto Sanchez, 29, was found Aug. 21 floating face down about 100 yards from shore.

The causes of death have not been determined. Officials are waiting for autopsy and toxicology reports. Officials said the deaths are not out of the ordinary.

“It does seem like we’ve had quite a few (drownings) lately, but in comparison to the past it’s actually fewer,” Orange County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Dennis Breckner said.

Weather is not believed to be a factor.

“It’s been pretty quiet on the surface side,” National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Moede told the Orange County Register. “We haven’t really had any big swells. We have been basically forecasting one- to three-foot swells for the past three weeks.”

Cox Media Group