Orange County officials say girl, 5, missing after being swept away into ocean in Laguna Beach

Authorities in Orange County are searching for a 5-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean with her family on Tuesday evening.

According to the Laguna Beach Police Department, reports came in for multiple swimmers in distress at Treasure Island Beach at about 7:30 p.m. after a mother and her two children were swept into the ocean by "powerful water conditions while near the shoreline."

Laguna Beach Mayor Mark Orgill told CBS LA that the mother, her son, and her daughter were walking along the sand when a large wave swept them away.

Bystanders at the scene successfully rescued the mother and the boy, but a young girl remains missing as of Wednesday morning. She's yet to be identified publicly, but Newport Beach Lifeguards told CBS LA that she is 5.

Laguna Beach Marine Safety, the Orange County Sheriff's Department Harbor Patrol and the United States Coast Guard were still searching for the girl as of Wednesday morning. Aerial images showed crews in the water at about 8 a.m.

It is now a recovery mission, Orgill said.

A pair of bystanders who helped rescue the mom and one of the children were transported to a local hospital in stable condition with unspecified injuries.

No additional details were immediatley made available.

The tragedy comes as a powerful storm off the coast has generated dangerous conditions in the water. The National Weather Service issued a Beach Hazards Statement that remains in effect through Thursday night as wave size increases.

The City of Laguna Beach on Tuesday morning, several hours before the incident, posted a warning on Instagram about beach conditions.

"Strong rip currents can quickly pull swimmers away from shore, and large surf creates hazardous conditions for swimmers, surfers, and anyone near the water's edge," the post's caption says.