No lifeguards drowned in the line of duty in 2003

Deepa Bharath

2003 was the second straight year without drownings for city

lifeguards.

“We’re extremely happy about that,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Capt.

Jim Turner said. “It’s our main goal. It’s what we’re here for.”

Lifeguards made 4,387 rescues in the water in 2003, according to

statistics released by the department on Wednesday. Last year, they

also took 106,839 “preventive actions” in the water and contacted

190,695 on the beach whom they educated about safety in the water and

on the beach, the report showed.

The number of rescues in 2003 is comparable with the 4,534 they

made in 2002, Turner said. About 8 million people visited the beach,

which is similar to the numbers from the year before, when about 8.3

million hit the sand, he said.

“This has been a average year,” he said. “It’s been busy, but not

too busy. On a normal year, we don’t go over 5,000 rescues.”

One of the busiest years was 1997, when Newport Beach lifeguards

made more than 7,000 rescues, which was 20% of the state’s rescues

and 10% of the nation’s.

First aids and medical aids almost doubled in 2003 compared to the

previous year, Turner said.

The 200 seasonal lifeguards work the hardest during the summer,

which is obviously their busiest season. More than 75% of the rescues

were made during the summer months of June, July and August.

The numbers make sense because 2003 seemed a “little lighter,”

said Lifeguard Lt. Mitch White.

“We didn’t have any large swells that did any damage or caused

danger,” he said.

Also lifeguards are engaging in more preventive action, White

said.

“Sure, we can’t show you big numbers and say we had a large number

of rescues,” he said. “But whichever way you look at it, prevention

is much better.”

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

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