VENICE : Search Is Called Off for Man Believed Drowned

Los Angeles County lifeguards on Wednesday called off the search for a Glendale man who is believed to have drowned while boogie-boarding in rough water off Venice Beach.

County divers had searched for Lance Dawkins for more than a dozen hours over a five-day period, said Los Angeles County Lifeguard Lt. Ira Gruber. Dawkins was last seen by a lifeguard at about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, when he was 75 yards from shore.

Dawkins, 36, had been boogie-boarding in three- to five-foot waves, accompanied by an unidentified friend on a surfboard, Gruber said.

A lifeguard on shore, concerned about the strong winds and crosscurrents, used a public address system to warn the two men that they were entering a rip current area and told them to stay on their boards and paddle north and east, Gruber said.

The lifeguard then entered the water to rescue Dawkins, who appeared to be caught in the currents. Dawkins’ companion, who was wearing a wet suit, made it to the shore himself, Gruber said.

But Dawkins jumped off his boogie board and attempted to swim when the lifeguard was 10 yards away, then thrashed in the water and went under.

“Maybe he panicked, or maybe he thought he could swim to the guard,” Gruber said. “If he had stayed on a boogie board, we would not have had a drowning.”

The lifeguard repeatedly dove underwater to find Dawkins but was forced to stop when an eyewitness on the beach unexpectedly joined the search--and had to be rescued himself, Gruber said. The lifeguard called for the divers at about 6 p.m.

Strong winds and poor underwater visibility has hampered the divers’ efforts. “It’s like diving blindfolded in a washing machine,” Gruber said.

Because of the strong currents, the body could now be miles away, Gruber said. He added: “We could have a thousand divers out there right now and still not find him.”