Heavy Surf Hits Beaches; Many Rescued

Surf reaching 10 feet at times slammed into south-facing beaches from Malibu to Orange County on Wednesday, keeping lifeguards busy with scores of rescues as some swimmers were caught by surprise, authorities said.

Lifeguards at Zuma Beach made nearly 70 rescues as four- to six-foot surf, with occasional breakers over seven feet, pounded the shoreline.

Rescuers searched unsuccessfully for a 31-year-old man, described as an experienced swimmer, who reportedly entered the ocean off private Carbon Beach in the Malibu area and disappeared. His name was withheld.

Two swimmers in Laguna Beach were taken to hospitals with moderate neck and back injuries after six-foot waves rose in a seemingly calm sea and sent them plunging into the sand, lifeguards said.

Huntington Beach State Park reported at least 60 swimmers were rescued. “This is our second south swell of the summer, and it’s the largest so far,” said lifeguard supervisor Dan Kennedy.

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this at Zuma,” said lifeguard Lt. James Richards as he looked out over the beach’s swamped parking lot.

Seawater also invaded the lifeguard headquarters and threatened 13 lifeguard towers before they were moved back from the surf.

Waves as high as 10 feet will continue today, the National Weather Service said, but they are not expected to threaten property. The surf should begin diminishing Friday as the effects of a South Pacific storm begin to wane.

Today’s forecast prompted a caution. “People who are fishing or observing waves from exposed coastal structures should be alert for an occasional much larger than average wave which can suddenly sweep across previously dry areas,” the weather service said.

“What happens,” said Laguna Beach lifeguard Kristi Farley, “is, we put out the yellow flag (indicating moderately dangerous surf), but it gets real calm for a while. It looks like a calm day, so people who don’t know the beach think they can handle it. A lot of these people are tourists who haven’t even seen surf before.

“They go out and then a set (of big waves) comes in and they get caught in the impact zone. They come right over the top of the wave--we call it going over the falls--and they slam into maybe two feet of water. It’s like slamming into concrete.”

While they may have caused headaches for lifeguards, the “killer” waves at Zuma left nearly 200 surfers competing in the $35,000 Malibu Classic surfing competition “stoked beyond belief,” said Bill Sullivan of the Professional Surfing Assn. of America.