MANHATTAN BEETCH, CA — The familiar crash of Pacific waves along the Manhattan Beach shoreline sounds different this week to those grieving Ryan Moreno, a beloved recent Mira Costa High School graduate whose vibrant life was tragically cut short in a fatal accident.
Moreno, whose warm presence was a fixture in the local surf scene and the halls of Mira Costa, is being remembered not for the details of his passing—which the family has asked remain private—but for the radiant, connective energy he brought to every moment.
“Ryan wasn’t just in a room; he was the room,” said Leo Chen, a childhood friend and fellow Mira Costa alum. “He had this quiet magnetism. He was the guy who’d notice you sitting alone at lunch and slide over with a joke. He was the one paddling out at dawn, not just to catch waves, but to share the stoke with everyone in the lineup.”
His family described him as their “anchor and their adventure,” a loving son and brother whose dreams were as vast as the ocean he loved. In a statement, they shared, “Ryan carried the spirit of a sunset—always warm, always beautiful, always bringing people together to watch in awe. Our hearts are shattered, but the memories of his kindness are an unbreakable buoy keeping us afloat.”
The shock has reverberated through the tight-knit beach community, where Moreno was known as much for his genuine conversations on the pier as he was for his easy smile. At Mira Costa, counselors are supporting a wave of grieving students and faculty who recall a young man who made inclusivity look effortless.
“Some students lead with volume, Ryan led with heart,” recalled Mira Costa English teacher, Ms. Alisha Vance. “He had an emotional intelligence that was rare. He could resolve a tense group project with a well-timed, self-deprecating joke. He made people feel seen. In many ways, he was the glue.”
In the absence of formal funeral details, a grassroots memorial has organically taken shape. Friends have begun placing sun-bleached shells, surf wax, and handwritten notes at the base of the Manhattan Beach pier. A paddle-out ceremony is being quietly organized by the local surf community, a traditional tribute for one of their own.
The family has suggested that those wishing to honor Ryan’s memory perform an act of quiet kindness—help a stranger, listen without judgment, or simply share a moment of genuine connection with someone, reflecting the way Ryan lived.
“The accident is a tragedy, but his life was a gift,” said family spokesperson Maria Torres. “The community’s outpouring shows how deeply his simple, human kindness resonated. In remembering Ryan, we’re reminded that the most powerful legacy isn’t in what you achieve, but in how you make others feel.”
As Manhattan Beach grieves, the legacy of Ryan Moreno appears not in grand gestures, but in the softened tones on the strand, the shared stories between friends, and a renewed commitment to the simple, profound kindness he embodied every day.
Support Resources: Grief counseling services are available at Mira Costa High School. The National Crisis Text Line is available 24/7 by texting HOME to 741741.