Newport lifeguards rescue nearly 300 over weekend

With a deceiving surf, Newport Beach lifeguards kept fairly busy

rescuing swimmers and trying to prevent serious injuries over the

weekend.

After sending two swimmers to Hoag Hospital on Sunday for

precautionary reasons relating to possible spinal injuries, Lifeguard

Capt. Jim Turner said the surf often deceives swimmers, body boarders and

surfers.

Saturday’s 3- to 5-foot surf led to 172 rescues, exceeding an average

day by more than 120. Sunday’s 2- to 4-foot surf led to about 100.

While those figures may stand out as significant, Turner said that

they pale in comparison to their one-time high of about 700 rescues in

one day.

Swimming or surfing over the falls of the waves, diving into the waves

in shallow water or diving off the jetties, he said, remain the three

primary sources of spinal injury at the beach.

And as the surf and warm weather continue to bring beach goers, it

will also continue to bring potential injury, he said.

To avoid getting hurt people must remember what they’ve been taught

about ocean safety and not forget to protect themselves by keeping their

hands in front of themselves at all times, Turner said.

Similar weather and surf conditions are expected for the Fourth of

July weekend.