Surfer killed at Wedge

Newport Beach’s world famous bodysurfing location, the Wedge, claimed its first life in more than 20 years Friday afternoon when a wave slammed an unidentified man into the serrated jetty off the edge of the Balboa Peninsula, authorities said.

The 50-year-old Los Angeles man was apparently body surfing at the Wedge about noon Friday when he got pinned in by the rocks after a large set of waves, some up to 25 feet high, said Jennifer Schulz, a spokeswoman for the Newport Beach Fire Department.

Lifeguards pulled the body surfer onto a boat and gave him CPR. Paramedics took the man to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities have not yet released the man’s name.

Locals and bodysurfers alike have been anticipating the strongest swell to hit the Orange County coast in years. The south swell comes thanks to a large storm off Tahiti. The Wedge’s unique location is prime for bodysurfing and huge waves. While farther north in Newport Beach waves were only a couple of feet high with a strong rip current hundreds of feet wide, the Wedge offered 20-foot waves that seemed to leap out of the ocean.

Waves forming there generally are fast-forming, steep, and crash just off the shore, making them especially precarious for wave riders.

Down shore, lifeguards were busy all day Friday and expect to be equally busy today. Schulz estimated there were more than 100 rescues Friday thanks to the strong rip current. Only experienced swimmers should get in the water, she said. Authorities recommended anyone who ventures into the ocean to wear fins.

The swell is expected to continue producing the biggest waves seen in years today and should taper off Sunday through Monday.