Crowds Come Out in Droves as Sun Comes Through on 4th

The summer sun broke through the gloom early Monday, sending eager San Diego County residents flocking to beaches and parks to observe the Fourth of July the old-fashioned way: with barbecues, fireworks and a few quaffs of the suds.

But there was the usual down side to the Independence Day celebration. Police reported the typical traffic snarls along coastal highways from Mission Beach to Oceanside, and seven people died in automobile accidents on county roads during the three-day weekend.

A 21-year-old North Carolina man was killed early Monday in north San Diego when he lost control of his car on Interstate 5 near Sorrento Valley Road, hit the center divider and was ejected through the window. The victim, a Navy seaman stationed on the aircraft carrier Ranger, was not identified pending notification of next of kin.

Del Mar Man Dies in Crash

Leonard C. Ray, a passenger in the car, suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla for treatment after the 12:40 a.m. accident. He was treated and released.

An accident along Del Dios Highway near Mt. Israel killed a Del Mar man late Saturday.

John Taylor, 36, was dead at the scene after his car crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a car driven by Randy Gorges, 30, of Phoenix, California Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Hastings said. Gorges was rushed to Palomar Memorial Hospital in Escondido with major injuries after the 9 p.m. accident, she said. He was in critical but stable condition Monday.

One holiday celebrant danced with death by parachuting off the Coronado Bridge. The man, whom police would not identify, hopped out of a limousine about mid-span, then leaped over the edge.

After a successful landing near Coronado, the parachutist got a lift back to shore from a nearby boat, jumped back into the limo and sped off before police arrived, according to Officer Steve LeMaire of the San Diego Harbor Police.

LeMaire said police are investigating the incident and are fairly sure the jumper was a daredevil who performs similar stunts periodically.

Wants to Press Charges

A pregnant woman who witnessed the jump was less than thrilled, LeMaire said. The woman went into hysterics after seeing the man dive off the bridge and is eager to press charges against the daredevil, although LeMaire was not sure what the charges will be.

Most other county residents spent the holiday tackling far less dangerous pursuits. Record crowds were reported at several beaches up and down the coast as the sun peeked through the gloom by mid-morning.

Temperatures climbed to the low 70s along some parts of the coast. Grady Svoboda, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said more of the same is expected in the next few days, with high temperatures in the mid-60s to low-70s expected along the coast today.

“It still should be nice at the beach Tuesday,” Svoboda said. “And it will probably be a little warmer Wednesday.”

The sunny skies on the Fourth sent tens of thousands of residents to the beaches, but small swells kept the number of rescues relatively low, lifeguards reported. The only hot spot seemed to be in Del Mar, where an estimated 12,000 bathers crowded the sand.

“We’ve probably got as big a crowd as we’ve ever had on this beach,” said Grant Larson, Del Mar lifeguard captain, noting that the more than 50 rescues were close to a record.

Sheriff’s deputies closed down a section of the coast road in Del Mar early in the afternoon in anticipation of the huge crowds that would descend on the beach to watch the fireworks display at the nearby Del Mar Fairgrounds.

Craig Williams, a lifeguard supervisor in Solana Beach, said “it’s definitely been pretty casual,” even though about 15,000 people packed the shore between Solana Beach and Encinitas. He said small waves kept rescues to a minimum.