Roughly 100 rescues were completed in a single day in Newport Beach as the coast deals with high surf, according to lifeguards.
Lifeguards responded to calls of swimmers caught in rip currents and being pushed into rocks and jetties, resulting in 100 rescues on Sunday alone, according to Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Lifeguard Brian O’Rourke.
“Our lifeguards did a great job yesterday,” O’Rourke said. “Everybody went home safe.”
In addition to the lifesaving measures taken on Sunday, more than 3,000 warnings were given to beachgoers to keep them safe.
Anyone visiting the beach is advised to check in with lifeguards and exercise caution while swimming. They should also be vigilant in case rip currents occur.
A rip current can be identified by spotting out breaks in incoming waves, water that appears churning or choppy, or water that appears murkier or darker than water moving away from the shore. Anyone who is caught in a rip current is advised to remain calm and swim parallel to the shore to escape the current’s channel.
For more information on rip currents, click here.