Van Egmond tells a story about a woman who was walking along the ocean side of the jetty at the infamous Wedge and was caught off guard by turbulent surf. She was picked up by a wave and swept onto the jetty, suffering cuts, bruises and a back broken in six places. Van Egmond would like to counsel all beachgoers before they decide to take a stroll in such a precarious place.
“When you go talk to someone about a dangerous action they may be doing,” said Van Egmond, “you could prevent them from injury for themselves and others. If you talk to one person, they will talk with five. We really pride ourselves with those actions.”
Van Egmond said three factors add up to a busy day for Newport Beach lifeguards: warm water, large crowds and moderate surf.
Millions of beachgoers have visited Newport Beach’s sandy shores so far this year, and that equates to a lot of inexperienced swimmers in the surf.
To handle it all, lifeguards split their patrol into five divisions. The first stretches from the Santa Ana River mouth to Newport Pier; Division 2 runs from the pier south to the end of the Balboa Peninsula at the Wedge. Corona del Mar makes up the third division, while the fourth and fifth are comprised of the department’s rescue boats, and the junior lifeguard station, which sits inside of Division 2 next to Balboa Pier.
Although the summer was mild, it presented some anomalous saves and injuries, most of which were directly connected to the land’s makeup, stressed Van Egmond. Four areas within the first two divisions pose specific concerns due to distinctive topography.
Area 1 – Santa Ana River mouth to 56th Street:
