Two rescued from drowning

Deepa Bharath

Lifeguards on Wednesday afternoon rescued a 22-year-old man who had

gotten caught in a rip current and another man who had jumped in to

rescue him, officials said.

The young man, who was not identified, was swimming in the ocean

near 28th Street, which is a “dangerous location along the rocks,”

said Newport Beach Lifeguard Lt. Brent Jacobsen, who responded to the

incident.

The young man and his girlfriend were in a place on the beach that

is not near a lifeguard tower and is hard to spot because of the

glare, he said.

But the girlfriend’s cries for help caught the attention of

Jacobsen, who just happened to be there on a day during the

off-season, when only three patrol units were on duty. The incident

occurred at about 3:15 p.m., officials said.

Minutes before Jacobsen’s arrival, an off-duty U.S. Marine who was

passing by jumped in the ocean to help the victim.

“But when I got there he seemed to be in trouble, too,” said

Jacobsen, a 15-year veteran in the department. “Most often, people

who are drowning tend to latch on to someone who’s attempting to

rescue them. So if you haven’t had training, it’s likely that the

victim will end up pulling in the person who is trying to rescue him,

as well.”

Had the rescue been delayed, the situation could have gotten

worse, said Capt. Eric Bauer, who was watching the rescue from

Lifeguard Headquarters on Newport Pier.

“It had the potential to be a double drowning,” he said. “Luckily,

Brent got there in time and was able to guide both men around the

jetty and to the beach.”

Jacobsen said it also looked as if the victim had been drinking

alcohol.

“He was not a good swimmer at all,” he said. “And he was swimming

somewhere he shouldn’t have been swimming.”

The 22-year-old man was treated on scene and taken to Hoag

Hospital for follow-up treatment, Jacobsen said.

“Usually in these cases, we take them to the hospital as a

precaution, to make sure there is no water in the lungs that goes

undetected,” he said. “That could result in secondary drowning.”

Beachgoers must follow certain rules and take precautions before

getting into the ocean, Bauer said.

“People need to remember always that alcohol and the ocean don’t

mix,” he said.

Bauer said he is impressed with lifeguards’ efforts.

“It always amazes me how vigilant they are,” he said. “And it’s

extremely fortunate for the victim that they happened to be in the

right place at the right time.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.