Labor Day Heat Drives 1 Million to Beaches
As temperatures soared inland, more than 1 million people surged to the shores for Labor Day, officials said Monday.
From San Pedro to Malibu, the holiday proved to be the most crowded beach day of the weekend as swimmers flocked to 67-degree water. The surf, normally between 1 to 2 feet, crashed to the shore in waves of 3 to 5 feet, life guards said.
“The surf in combination with hot weather and large crowds make it a busy day,” said Pat Jones, senior county lifeguard.
Lifeguards carried out about 400 rescues Monday, about 25 more than the previous day. In part, the surf was more perilous Monday because of the larger waves and strong currents as the tide pulled back at the day’s end, Jones said.
Monday’s crowd fell short of the record in 1988, when 2 million beach-goers flocked to the water, Jones said.
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