Lifeguard hopefuls try out in Newport

A record number of lifeguard hopefuls flocked to Newport Beach Sunday

to try out for a spot as a city lifeguard, Newport Beach Fire and Marine

Department officials said.

Both the number of people registered (167) and the number that showed

up at the Newport Pier Sunday morning (128) set records, said John

Blauer, community relations officer for the fire and marine department.

Officials invited 45 people from the tryouts to attend 109 hours of

lifeguard training, which will begin the weekend of April 12-14 and

continue through Memorial Day.

About 15 to 25 lifeguards will be hired for summer from those asked to

go to training, Blauer said.

Of the 45 individuals invited to training, 17 had participated in the

Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard program or the Cadet program during a

previous summer.

Candidates were greeted Sunday with 60-degree water and a western

swell of 1 to 2 inches. Ninety-seven participants completed both the

1000-meter swim and the 1000-meter run-swim-run portions of the tryouts.

Christopher Meyer, 18, of Santa Ana completed both events as the top

qualifier and 16-year-old Lauren Miller, also of Santa Ana, was the top

female competitor. She finished 15th overall.

Both Meyer and Miller have participated in the junior lifeguard

program.

Starting pay for ocean lifeguards is $12.68 per hour.