Jose Paul Corona More than 50,000 people...

Jose Paul Corona

More than 50,000 people visit Surf City beaches each day during

the summer months. City lifeguards rescue 30 to 35 of those visitors

on a busy day.

During the month of July alone 1.9-million people visited

Huntington Beach shores. City lifeguards and Marine Safety Officers

rescued 390 people, administered medical aid 277 times and they found

103 lost children.

Being a lifeguard is no day at the beach.

So far this year it is estimated that 4.9-million people have

visited the beach, and while beach attendance is slightly lower this

year, lifeguards are working just as hard as they always have, said

Marine Safety Lt. Kyle Lindo.

Since January more then 700 swimmers have been rescued. Lifeguards

have administered minor medical attention to more than 300 people and

helped give major medical attention to nearly 250 people. They have

also helped locate more than 160 lost people.

Regardless of the time of day there is always someone at the

beach, said Marine Safety Officer Eric Ching. People show up at all

hours of the day -- some show up before the sun.

“If you can see the waves, people get out and surf,” said Ching,

who added that he recently saw a guy heading into the water with his

surfboard at 4:30 in the morning.

Baywatch it’s not

Lifeguards have to deal with a wide variety of situations while on

the job. Not only do they have to watch the water and contend with

inexperienced swimmers, they are also responsible for the beach,

which means lost children and people in medical distress.

The reality of the job is very different from what television

shows portray, said Huntington Beach City Lifeguard J.R. Plasencia.

His friends often think that he has time to chat with pretty girls

and work on his tan, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth, he

said.

“It’s very glamorized,” he said. “We spend most of our time

training and maintaining equipment.”

The trucks, jet ski’s and boats that the lifeguards use all have

to be kept in tip-top shape. It’s easy for things to become run down

in a beach environment, the sand and salt water take a toll on the

equipment, Plasencia said.

The crowds they watch over range in age and experience -- and they

can all get into trouble, he said. The ocean, with its often

unpredictable surf and currents, is a force the most experienced

watermen are cautious of. For those who don’t know its power, it can

be extremely dangerous.

“People that aren’t even pool proficient come out here,” Plasencia

said.

Large summer crowds provide lifeguards with a hefty challenge, but

even when the crowds are small, lifeguards have other things to deal

with.

Constant training is always on the agenda. If there aren’t any

crowds on the beach when the lifeguards arrive in the morning to

start their shifts, then they get a refresher course in one of the

many procedures that they have to be proficient in, said Lindo.

The lifeguards can’t just stand around and do nothing, so when

there’s a chance to get training in, that’s what happens, he added.

“We try to maximize the dollar,” he joked.

Being a lifeguard is tough work and lifeguards have to be in

top-notch condition, Lindo said.

While working at the beach has its advantages and perks, it’s not

like working in a restaurant. If you break a dish at a restaurant,

it’s easily replaced. It’s not a big problem, he said.

“If you drop a dish as a lifeguard it could be a drowning,” Lindo

said. “You’re responsible for all these people, that’s a heavy load

to bear.”

Until next year

With Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer approaching, the

lifeguard force will dwindle with the crowds.

While the 15 permanent lifeguards will remain in place, seasonal

lifeguards will go back to their regular jobs or back to school and

start the year all over again.

Plasencia will go back to Waite Middle School in Norwalk where he

is a biology teacher.

Although he hates to see the summer end because he won’t be at the

beach as much, Plasencia is looking forward to teaching again. He has

the best of both worlds, he said.

“I lead a pretty good life,” he said.

* JOSE PAUL CORONA covers City Hall and education. He can be

reached at (714) 965-7173 or by e-mail at jose.corona@latimes.com.