It was a busy holiday weekend for emergency personnel on Southern California’s pristine coastline, with hundreds of water rescues recorded over just the past few days. Between just two of the many popular coastal areas in Orange County, officials say that more than 500 swimmers were safely pulled from the water, including some in serious distress.
Owing to the warm summer weather, holiday timing and a heavy increase in beach traffic, both Huntington Beach and Newport Beach saw a jump in water rescues over the past few days. The two cities, which border each other along the sand, are always impacted during the summer, but the high number of water rescues this season is exceedingly rare.
“The City of Huntington Beach experienced large crowds and consistent surf over eight feet on July 4,” reads a news release from the Southern California city, adding that the city (nicknamed Surf City USA for its famous waves) doubled its lifeguard tower staffing in its densest public beach areas. The city also deployed personal watercraft and specialized swimmers to help with any serious needs. All told, workers performed 152 rescues, the city said. “It was common to see large wave sets roll through, followed by multiple monster rip currents forming at once and pulling water — and swimmers — rapidly out to sea,” said Huntington Beach Fire Department marine safety division chief Trevor McDonald in the release…