At the end of the day on Wednesday, first responders announced that they would be ending their active search for Trinity Eslinger, a 10-year-old girl who went missing while swimming at a beach in the Florida panhandle. The disappearance occurred nearly one week after the girl in question went missing.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office reports that Eslinger vanished on June 12 at approximately 7:30 p.m. after being reported missing. It was in the water between Osteen Beach and Norriego Point in Destin that she was located for the last time.
There have been numerous state and local agencies, as well as volunteer organizations, that have been working tirelessly in a coordinated search effort by air, sea, and land since Eslinger went missing; however, they have not been successful in finding her.
Deputy sheriffs will continue to patrol the area as part of their regular operations, according to the sheriff’s office, even though they are beginning the process of reducing the amount of resources that are dedicated to the task.
“Our hearts are heavy, and this is not the outcome that anyone hoped for,” said Sheriff Eric Aden. “We are all very disappointed.” “Our sincere gratitude goes out to each and every organization, volunteer, and member of the community who contributed their utmost effort to this search. During this incomprehensible time, we hope that Trinity’s family will find comfort in our thoughts and prayers.
In a post that was published on social media, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office stated, “While we will never stop hoping to bring Trinity home, we are now beginning the process of scaling back dedicated resources.” As part of what is considered to be routine operations, deputies will continue to patrol the area.
Sincere and heartfelt hope that Trinity is located and brought back to those who care about her is what we are hoping for. We are aware that this current period continues to be an extremely challenging time for her family as well as for the entire community. We ask that you continue to keep Trinity and her family in your prayers and thoughts.
We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of the organizations and individuals who participated in the search. It was estimated that the operation covered approximately 250 square miles, which included the southernmost point of Choctawhatchee Bay, the East Pass, and extended for miles into the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to marine vessels and aerial resources, assets included dive teams, ground crews, and dive teams that worked together in unified coordination. The search consisted of more than forty dives that were carried out throughout its duration.
We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to the following organizations for their contributions: the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Eglin Air Force Base, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Florida Helicopter Patrol, the Destin Fire Department, the North Bay Fire Department, and the United Arab Emirates Navy.
