Beachgoers enjoy warm, safe weekend

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- The Independence Day weekend did not kick off with a

bang, which is precisely what local authorities were hoping for.

Despite annual fears of holiday melee, the Harbor Patrol and lifeguards

were relieved to see both residents and beachgoers quietly enjoying the

warm temperatures on Sunday.

“We’ve had no calls for assistance,” said Sgt. Donna Sotto of the Harbor

Patrol. “Though there was one call -- but that turned out to be OK and

not a big thing.”

Two days into the holiday weekend, the only unusual occurrence was the

water temperature. Usually cooler this time of year, temperatures crept

up to mid- to late-August heat at 70 degrees.

“This is very warm water this early in the season,” lifeguard Capt. Jim

Turner said.

Turner said he was not sure why the water was so warm, though he quipped

it probably had something to do with “El Nino, the Santa Maria and El

Pinto.”

And with the increased warmth, jellyfish -- those globular sea animals

with a nasty sting -- bobbed out to play. However, though places farther

south such as Laguna Beach have had some problems with the critters,

Newport Beach was relatively safe for swimmers.

“There have been some offshore but not many reports of jellyfish,” Turner

said.

However, there were still the rip currents that have claimed a number of

lives lately. Rip currents, like small rivers that float under the

surface, are caused by channels formed in the sandy bottom of the

beaches.

Lifeguards made several rescues but said this was expected with the

increased traffic during the holiday weekend.

Last month, five beachgoers were pulled out to sea and another San

Bernadino man taken out and drowned because of the powerful currents.

Inexperienced swimmers often try to fight against a powerful current

instead of swimming parallel to shore to escape it.