Search Suspended for Swimmer Missing off La Jolla Shores

The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for a swimmer that has been missing from La Jolla since Saturday night, said Petty Officer Henry Dunphy.

According to the Coast Guard, 53-year-old Jim Repeta planned to swim the two miles from Scripps Pier to the La Jolla Shores lifeguard tower but never made it.

Dunphy said the search was called off around 2 p.m.

"Pending any further developments, we are not going to be searching actively anymore," Dunphy said.

The Coast Guard takes into consideration factors such as the person's age, water temperature and what they were wearing when determining how long a person can survive in the water, Dunphy said.

A friend of Repeta's notified La Jolla lifeguards around 6 p.m. Saturday after the swimmer was an hour late reaching the beach. Helicopters and patrol boats began searching for Repeta, who was wearing a wetsuit and swimming alone.

Dunphy said La Jolla Shores had thunderstorms overnight with 15- to 20-knot winds and three-foot waves. The water temperature hovered below 60 degrees over the weekend. 

City News Service contributed to this report.