‘Lifeguards for life’
Going back to work Monday morning was tougher than usual coming off a long holiday weekend.
When the office consists of sun, sand and surf, it’s hard to imagine a bad day on the job. But this week was as tough as it gets for the men and women of the Newport Beach Marine Operations Division.
On July 7, the Red, White and Blue was lowered to half-staff up and down beach. I attended the 9 a.m. briefing of the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguards in support of my 12-year old son, among hundreds of junior guards in the summer program.
I knew this would be unlike any other Monday. For the first time in the 100-year history of the Newport Beach Lifeguards, one of their own was lost in the line of duty. The evening before, 32-year-old Ben Carlson gave his last breath saving the life a distressed swimmer in heavy surf.
The news hit hard. I wanted to see how it was handled with the junior guards and gathered parents, many of whom woke up Monday unaware of the tragedy.
The briefing by Lifeguard Capt. Brian O’Rourke delivered from the deck of the Junior Guards station was succinct in a surprisingly positive tone. Among the stoic guard instructors standing by, misty eyes were only somewhat obscured behind sunglasses.
“We’re all very sad today,” said a matter-of-fact O’Rourke to the sitting 9-to-12 year old boys and girls, “We’re gonna overcome that, gonna be super-epic like we talked about. We’re gonna honor Ben today by just getting out there, and loving the beach and respecting it, and protecting it, just like he did.”
“It was very tasteful and very inspiring,” summed up James Wells, who has two daughters in the Junior Guards and was among a smattering of parents at the gathering. Wells added that the instructors are “very good role models for these kids.”
“I felt that they were very thorough. They kept it brief,” said Barbara Coder, a parent of a 10-year-old girl in the program. “They also let the kids know that they were going to be kept safe today.”
Coder didn’t miss the opportunity to teach her daughter a reflective life lesson.
“I let her know that she needed to be there for (the lifeguards) as well because one of their friends has passed away,” Coder said. “I let her know she needed to be respectful and kind to all of them and let them know she felt for all of them.”
Carlson had been a Junior Guards instructor during part of his 15 years with the department. He also watched from a tower, rode in a rescue boat, was a big-wave surfer, a bartender, a son and a friend. Losing such an accomplished waterman is unnerving, but a public safety professional has no time for the effect.
“It hurts,” said lifeguard Battalion Chief Rob Wilson, “but we train for these types of days. There’s no place I’d rather be than right here, right now. It’s lifeguards for life. We protect life, educate people and expect to go home safely.”
In honor of Ben Carlson, a day at the beach will never be the same.
Freelance journalist MATT MORRISON lives in Newport Beach.