Big surf, rip currents to persist after hundreds of weekend rescues by lifeguards

Crowds seeking relief from the summer heat, paired with big surf and strong rip currents, kept area lifeguards on their toes with hundreds of rescues over the weekend, and more turbulent surf is anticipated Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hurricane Eugene, which is swirling in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico, is expected to send large waves and rip currents to south-facing beaches, according to the National Weather Service.

Five- to 8-foot sets are expected, with some as large as 10 feet. Strong rip currents are expected to accompany the high surf, according to the agency.

(Lorena Iñiguez / Los Angeles Times)

Preparing for problems

Over the weekend, a south swell brought elevated surf to local beaches as crowds in the hundreds of thousands sought a reprieve from toasty temperatures inland. Those factors led to more rescues than normal, lifeguards said.

Newport Beach lifeguards sought to chat with beachgoers over the weekend before they entered the water to warn them of potentially dangerous swimming conditions.

GRAPHIC: Staying safe at the beach

They plan to continue the tactic this week.

“It shouldn’t overwhelm us,” Jacobsen said of the upcoming swell. “It’s a significant surf event, but it’s nothing we’re not prepared for.”

Jacobsen said swimmers should always stay near a lifeguard and refrain from drinking alcohol before entering the water.

If a swimmer gets stuck in a rip current, the best tactic is to swim parallel to the shore instead of trying to fight the current, he said.

Staying safe

Here are some basic rip current safety tips from the Los Angeles County Fire Department:

• Stay calm.
• Do not try to swim against the current.
• Escape the current by swimming in a direction parallel to shore.
• If you are unable to escape by swimming, float or tread water. When the current weakens, swim at an angle away from the current toward shore.
• If at any time you feel you will be unable to reach shore, draw attention to yourself; face the shore, call or wave for help.
• Learn how to swim at your local pool before swimming at the beach.
• Never swim alone.
• Do not become a victim while trying to help someone else. Many people have died in efforts to rescue rip current victims.
• Get help from a lifeguard.
• If a lifeguard is not present, yell instructions on how to escape.
• If possible, throw the rip current victim something that floats.
• Always swim near an open lifeguard station.
• Check with the lifeguard before entering the water to be made aware of any unsafe conditions.

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