A Beach Hazard Statement is in effect for much of coastal Southern California amid a busy Independence Day weekend where hundreds of people were rescued in one community alone on Friday.
That community is Newport Beach; their lifeguard agency posted on X late Friday night that ten swimmers were rescued from a “monster” rip current on the 4th of July in one incident. More than 350 rescues were made throughout the day in Newport Beach, the post says.
A separate Instagram post published jointly by Newport Beach Lifeguards, The Lifeguard Project, North American Rescue and the Hoist Operators Union — that includes the same footage as the X post — elaborates further on the rescue of the swimmers who were stuck in a “dog-leg” rip current.
“[This is] one of the best videos capturing the unseen moments of a critical lifeguard rescue in Newport Beach,” the Instagram post’s caption reads. “The rip current is a great example of how quickly these situations can pull victims out and shows the appropriate scale of how powerful the current can be.”
All of the people rescued were said to have made it safely back to shore.
Speaking to KTLA 5’s Jennifer McGraw on Saturday morning, a longtime Newport Beach resident who is a former lifeguard said that he wasn’t surprised at how many people needed to be saved, especially with the rough conditions.
“There are big lulls in the surf, and then when the sets come, there are five to six waves in a set…and they’re pretty big,” said John Layman. “So it looks calm for a little while, then a big set comes in and people get tossed around. When a lot of water comes in, a lot of water has to go out, which creates rip tides.”
The National Weather Service has issued a Beach Hazard Statement for beaches in Ventura County and along the Malibu Coast. Dangerous rip currents and breaking waves due to elevated surf are also forecast for L.A. County beaches as well as Catalina and Santa Barbara islands, per NWS.
“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning. Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea,” the Beach Hazard Statement reads. “Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore. Remain out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions, or stay near occupied lifeguard towers.”
Rock jetties can be deadly in these conditions and should be avoided, the National Weather Service advises.
The Beach Hazard Statement remains in effect through Sunday evening. Authorities recommend following the following advice when deciding whether to swim in rough conditions: “When in doubt, don’t go out.”
More information on rip currents and other water hazards can be found at the California State Parks Ocean Safety web page.
