Riptides Keep Lifeguards Busy; More of Same Today

Lifeguards kept busy pulling swimmers out of riptides Saturday, and they expect more of the same today as storm-generated waves roll up from Mexican waters to pound Orange County beaches.

There were no injuries or serious problems as an estimated 170,000 people spent the day on the sand. Lifeguards said their job would have been even tougher had it not been for the abnormally low water temperature.

“The water’s about 56 degrees,” said San Clemente lifeguard supervisor Richard Chew, adding that it can often get as warm as 80 degrees in June. “Even people in wet suits aren’t going out very far or for very long. Once they hit that water, they’re turning around pretty fast.”

Chew’s lifeguards made only 20 rescues in three- to five-foot waves, but lifeguards in Newport Beach had a more active day, hauling out about 250 people.

Senior lifeguard Marshall Macknicki said the four- to five-foot surf at Newport Beach--generated by Hurricane Delores in the waters west of Baja, Mexico--will be back tomorrow and will probably be even higher.

“It looks like the surf is building. We started this morning at about three feet and we’re getting occasional sixes now,” he said, predicting sixes for today. “Most likely it’s going to be a very busy day tomorrow (Sunday).”

The day’s only injury occurred at Huntington State beach when a surfer was struck in the head by another man’s surfboard. He was treated and released at Hoag Memorial Hospital. Lifeguard supervisor Kurt Loeffler said there were about 60 rescues at the three state beaches.

Seal Beach lifeguards said they had 12 rescues during the day and had to break up a fistfight as well.