Joshua Lahai disappeared Sunday evening while swimming with another child off the Brazoria County coast.
SURFSIDE BEACH, TX — Search crews moved Monday from rescue to recovery after Joshua Lahai, an 11-year-old boy from Richmond, disappeared in the surf Sunday evening while swimming off Surfside Beach during a holiday weekend trip, authorities said.
The search drew local police, sheriff’s deputies, the U.S. Coast Guard and Texas EquuSearch after Joshua went under in rough water and did not resurface. The case unfolded during Memorial Day weekend, when large crowds filled the Brazoria County beach and officials had warned of hazardous Gulf conditions.
Surfside Beach police said Joshua was in the water with another child when a large wave came through near the beach at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The two children were about 150 yards from shore, officials said. The other child made it back safely, but Joshua disappeared beneath the water. Surfside Beach Police Chief Philip Hester said the rescue search began within minutes after Joshua went under. Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, said crews worked through the night. “Nobody’s gotten any sleep,” Miller said Monday as teams continued searching the water and shoreline.
Joshua had gone to Surfside Beach with family members, friends and a youth football team from Richmond, officials said. He was last seen wearing multicolored shorts. Search crews later found shorts believed to be connected to the case, a discovery that came as officials said the work had shifted toward recovery. The U.S. Coast Guard sent aircraft and boat crews into the search Sunday night, including a fixed-wing aircraft, a helicopter and boat teams. Surfside Beach police, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office and Texas EquuSearch members also searched the area. Miller said about 30 people from his group were at the scene Monday.
The disappearance came as red flag conditions were posted at Surfside Beach, signaling dangerous surf. Officials said waves, currents and sandbars can make the water look calmer than it is from shore. Miller said the factors may have included “currents, the sandbar, the waves and not knowing.” Surfside Beach drew heavy holiday crowds over the weekend, with officials estimating tens of thousands of visitors. The beach is in Brazoria County, about 70 miles south of Houston, and is a popular Gulf Coast stop for families during Memorial Day weekend.
No criminal charges had been announced Monday, and officials described the case as a water search and recovery effort. Police had not released a final cause or full timeline beyond the report that Joshua was swept under after a large wave. The Coast Guard and local agencies continued searching by air, boat and ground while Texas EquuSearch assisted from the shore. Officials did not announce a time for ending the effort. The next step was continued recovery work along the beach and in nearby Gulf waters as conditions allowed.
Family members were at the beach as crews searched. Peter Lahai, identified as a relative, said the family was waiting for answers. “We don’t know exactly what happened,” he said. Miller said he had spoken with Joshua’s family more than once and told them crews would keep working. “We’re not giving up,” Miller said. The search scene stretched along the shoreline, where emergency vehicles, search teams and beach visitors shared the same strip of sand as crews watched the water for any sign of the missing boy.
As of Monday evening, Joshua had not been found. Crews remained focused on recovery operations off Surfside Beach, with local police, the Coast Guard and Texas EquuSearch continuing work along the Gulf shoreline.
Author note: Last updated May 25, 2026.