Newport Beach lifeguards pulled off roughly 100 rescues on Sunday as pounding surf and ripping currents turned a summer beach day into a full-on workout for first responders, city officials said, according to Patch. The big swell packed the peninsula's famed breaks and had lifeguards spending the day issuing thousands of preventive warnings while steering swimmers away from rocks and jetties.
According to NBC Los Angeles, Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Lifeguard Brian O'Rourke said, "Our lifeguards did a great job yesterday," and that "everybody went home safe." The station reported that lifeguards spent the day racing to swimmers caught in rip currents and pushed toward rocks and jetties, and that crews handed out more than 3,000 warnings to beachgoers.
High Surf Advisory Packs The Sand
The National Weather Service had posted a High Surf Advisory for Orange County, warning of four to seven-foot breaking waves, with larger sets possible and a high risk of rip currents. Local coverage noted that the swell drew crowds to The Wedge and other popular viewing spots, and Patch put the day's rescue tally at about 100.
Big Surf Puts Lifeguards To The Test
Newport Beach's lifeguard operation, 12 full-time staff backed by roughly 220 part-time seasonal lifeguards and rescue boats, handled most of the calls, pulling swimmers from heavy surf zones and helping people who were swept onto jetties, according to the Newport Beach Fire Department. Earlier this summer a south swell sent 20 foot waves thundering into The Wedge and brought a similar spike in rescues, the Los Angeles Times reported.
What Lifeguards Want You To Know
Lifeguards reminded beachgoers to check in at a lifeguard stand, follow posted flags, and steer clear of rocks and jetties where waves can slam people into hard surfaces. If you get caught in a rip current, safety experts say to stay calm and swim parallel to shore until you can slip out of the current. The National Weather Service offers detailed guidance on how to survive a rip and signal for help.
Chief Lifeguard Brian O'Rourke again praised the crews for their work and repeated the advisory to "check in with lifeguards and exercise caution while swimming," per NBC Los Angeles. Lifeguards said they will stay on high alert as long as the advisory and elevated surf conditions continue.
