Girl, 10, Goes Missing While Swimming on Florida Vacation
NEED TO KNOW
- A search is underway for 10-year-old Trinity Eslinger, who went missing while swimming with her family in Florida
- The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) said the girl was last seen in the water off the coast of Destin on June 12 at around 7:30 p.m. local time
- In a GoFundMe page set up by the preteen’s aunt, Eslinger’s family said she was swept away by a current while in the water
A search is underway for a 10-year-old girl who went missing while swimming in Florida.
According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), 10-year-old Trinity Eslinger was on vacation with her family in Destin — located in the northwestern region of Florida, near the Alabama state line — when she was first reported missing on the evening of Thursday, June 12.
The OCSO said Eslinger was last seen in the water at around 7:30 p.m. local time, between the city’s Osteen Beach and Norriego Point. Officials issued an aqua alert, a public alert for missing or endangered boaters and swimmers, about one hour after she was last seen.
According to an update from the OCSO shared on Friday, June 13, multiple agencies, including Destin Fire Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, provided drones, helicopters and boats to aid the search.
“The Sheriff’s Office deployed two vessels and 10 divers, who conducted a total of 24 dives in an effort to locate Trinity,” authorities said in the statement. “A drone unit was utilized, Beach Patrol units searched the shorelines, and Community Resource Deputies were deployed to help fill operational gaps in the search.”
In a GoFundMe page set up by the 10-year-old’s aunt to help her family with expenses as the search continues, the fundraiser states Eslinger was swept away by a current while in the water.
“Her mom tried with everything in her to save her,” the fundraiser states, in part. “All we want is for Trin to be found so her mom can bring her home.”
A photo featured on the fundraiser page shows the girl sitting on a boat in her mother’s lap as she wore a bright orange life vest. Another photo of Eslinger, shared by the Sheriff’s Office on June 12, shows the 10-year-old standing on the beach wearing a pink and yellow swimsuit.
“Trinity is such a loving kid; she has a whole life ahead of her. We all looked forward to her turning 11 in just a month or so. She’s supposed to be going to the 5th grade,” the GoFundMe message continues.
It adds, “All she wanted was to have fun. Trinity is loved by so many people. If you can, put it in your hearts to pray for Trinity’s family as everyone is going through a hard time right now.”
As of June 14, the fundraiser has received more than $6,000 in donations toward its $11,000 goal.
Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office
The Sheriff’s Office said in an additional update on June 14 that the search operations were still underway.
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“Multiple agencies are continuing search operations today in the Destin East Pass for 10-year-old Trinity Eslinger, who was last seen in the water Thursday evening,” the office wrote on Facebook.
“We know our community is anxiously awaiting updates, and we want to assure everyone that as soon as any official information becomes available, it will be shared here,” the statement continued. “Please continue to keep Trinity and her family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Authorities have asked anyone who has seen the missing 10-year-old or has any information about her case to call 911 or to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 850-651-7400.
