Man drowns near Talbert Channel

Andrew Edwards

Treacherous currents likely caused a Huntington Beach drowning on

April 15, lifeguards said.

At about 5:15 p.m., lifeguards at Huntington State Beach were

alerted that a swimmer was in trouble near the Talbert Channel,

lifeguard supervisor Mike Broushard said.

Lifeguards could not resuscitate the swimmer, who was identified

by the Orange County Coroner’s Division as 18-year-old Son Bao Nguyen

of Anaheim. By the time lifeguards arrived for the rescue attempt,

two surfers had already brought Nguyen’s body to shore, Broushard

said.

“[They] paddled over and started to drag the man in,” he said.

Nguyen could have been under water for as long as 10 to 12

minutes, Broushard said.

State beach lifeguards were assisted by Newport Beach lifeguards.

A fisherman who saw Nguyen fall into the ocean after he slipped on

some rocks made the initial 911 call, Newport Beach lifeguard Josh

Vanegmond said.

Nguyen could have gotten caught in strong currents from the

Talbert Channel, an area of the beach that has frequently hazardous

swimming conditions, Broushard said, especially with the lifeguard

shortage.

“We’re pretty thin on staff here at the state beaches,” Broushard

said.

Three seasonal lifeguards have been keeping an eye on the ocean,

Broushard said, since full-timers spend much of their time on law

enforcement-related duties.

“If [beach-goers are] not really strong swimmers, they need to ask

themselves, “Am I equipped enough to go out in the ocean?” Broushard

said.

If a swimmer gets caught in a riptide, the best way to escape the

current is to swim parallel to the beach, Broushard said.

“The closest calls we have are people that are panicked,”

Broushard said.