Sweeping swell

The Newport-Mesa area received its fair share of news this year. Big waves, car accidents, and a high school athlete whose story and image went viral on the Internet were just a few of the stories that graced the front page. There are a few images we felt were the best 2007 had to offer.

Big surf visited the coast of Newport several times this past year and provided an opportunity for Kent Treptow to capture a shot of a surfer almost getting swept away as a large wave hits the jetty at 30th Street during the last big swell to hit the area. The image captured the danger the high surf created while showing the bravery of the surfers trying to ride the waves, making it our news photo of the year.

The wildfires in Orange County took its toll on the Newport-Mesa area. Schools and sporting events were closed, and our local firefighters were called into duty to help battle the blaze. Quick to action, Jamie Flanagan went to the scene of the fires and was able to capture two firefighters from Costa Mesa Fire Station No. 5 battling the flames from the backyard of a home in Portola Hills in the early hours of the morning. The background of the image is a solid red-orange glow, showing how close the fire was to a home.

There is never a warning as to when news is going to break. On a quiet Sunday afternoon, public safety reporter Kelly Strodl ran back to my desk in the newsroom to inform me of a car accident on Adams Avenue. Dropping what we were doing, we took off to the accident scene to find the remains of a car wrapped around a traffic light pole. In all the accidents I have gone to, this was the first time the police officers were unable to give me the model of the car, just the make, because the damage was so extensive.

Big swells may bring big waves, but they also bring disaster. Don Leach captured an image of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol looking for the bodies of two people who were washed off the south jetty while fishing, and a few surfers enjoying the big surf. The image is interesting because it captures both the tragedy and fun big waves can bring.

When photographers cover breaking news, they look for scenes that tell the story, but are also unusual. The shot of the boat that ran aground at 44th Street in Newport Beach is such an example. Treptow’s shot captures the boat on the shore, but the crowd gathered around the scene shows how big the boat is, and how odd it is to have boat stuck in the sand on the seashore.

— Mark Dustin

To see all these news photos and more, click here.