A body surfer rides a high wave at the Wedge on September 1, 2011 in Newport Beach, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
For the past two days in LA County, the shoreline has been hammered by waves peaking at over 20 feet. Despite the obvious risks and warnings, swimmers and surfers choose to take on the powerful walls of water.
Some unlucky daredevils found themselves out of control in watery depths, and lifeguards were put to the test. On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, between L.A. County and Newport Beach alone, there were 373 ocean rescues. These lifeguards are guided by a philosophy of prevention. They want to get ahead of life-threatening circumstances. This is why they’re trained to do “prevents” — that is, converse with beach-goers, educating them about beach and ocean hazards.
What kind of risks did lifeguards face these past couple of days? Should they be held accountable for those who choose to plunge into treacherous ocean conditions?
Guests:
Kyle Daniels, Ocean Lifeguard Captain for L.A. County Fire Department
Zach Weisberg, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Inertia — described surfing’s definitive community; former editor at SURFER magazine