Remains of Bodyboarder Believed Found

The body of 16-year-old Juan Jose Mejia Jr., who disappeared in heavy surf off Redondo Beach on Christmas Day, was recovered Tuesday, Los Angeles County lifeguards said.

People aboard a 36-foot cruiser notified authorities after seeing the body about 11 a.m., floating near debris nearly 1 1/4 miles from where Mejia had disappeared, lifeguard Capt. Steve Moseley said.

Mejia’s family had not identified the body late Tuesday, but Moseley said it closely matched the description of the missing teenager.

Mejia’s father expressed relief at the discovery of what he believed to be his son’s remains.

“I haven’t seen him yet, but they say it’s him,” he said. “The only thing I can say is, thank you to all those who have supported me--searching for him, keeping me company, and bringing us food.”

Rony Acevedo, a friend of Mejia’s father, said the family is devastated by the loss of their only son.

“On the one hand Juan was hoping that if God took his son’s soul, he would at least return his body,” Acevedo said. “But until they actually found him, he never gave up the hope that his son might still be alive.”

For more than a week the elder Mejia held vigils from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the beach near H Street where his son disappeared while bodyboarding.

But on Tuesday, only sea gulls gathered near the poinsettias left at the base of a sand and seashell shrine Mejia’s family and friends had constructed in his memory.

Across from the shrine, lifeguards cordoned off a pebble mosaic of a cross bearing Mejia’s name in the sand.

In addition to being an avid soccer player, the teenager was an active member at St. Mary Margaret Church in Lomita.

“We called him Old Faithful because he was always there, helping decorate, helping the kids, lighting candles. Whatever was needed,” recalled Laura Holguin, the church’s youth group leader.

Mejia disappeared after a wave knocked him, his cousin and a friend off their bodyboards. Although the water was 58 degrees, and the waves were nearly 10 feet high, none of the boys was wearing a wetsuit or fins, the standard equipment lifeguards recommend.

Ash Raksnys, 17, of Redondo Beach, and Nicholas Croxton, 17, of Torrance, were just ending an afternoon of bodyboarding when they heard someone screaming on the beach for help.

“We just dropped our stuff,” Raksnys said. “We didn’t think about it. We just knew he needed help and went out there.”

Raksnys said he and Croxton saw only Mejia’s cousin, Jesse Mora, 18, clinging to a bodyboard. They hauled him up on the board and kept his head out of water until lifeguards arrived.

Mejia’s friend, Juan Jose Ambriz, 16, managed to swim to shore.

Before being taken to a nearby hospital immediately after he was saved, Mora, in a state of shock, was unable to tell authorities that Mejia was still missing.

Ambriz believed Mejia was among the rescuers and did not realize until half an hour later that his friend was still missing.

But lifeguard spokeswoman Chris Linkletter said it is unlikely the delay made a difference. The rescue team would have seen the teenager if he had still been treading water, she said, and it would have been too late if the boy had already slipped under.

“We always hope that people can learn something out of a tragedy like this,” said Linkletter. “It’s important to swim near a lifeguard, and to ask the lifeguard what areas are safe.”

Mejia’s father also hoped his loss would be a lesson to others.

“So many youngsters have problems, get involved with the wrong things,” he said. “My son was a good kid. And I hope these kids get straightened out because life can be very short.”

Information on contributions to the Mejia family is available at St. Mary Margaret Church Christian Services, (310) 326-3364.