BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS Memorial Day madness...

BRIEFLY IN

THE NEWS

Memorial Day madness at beaches

Lifeguards were busy on Memorial Day with a crowd of about 60,000

at the beaches and 45 rescues.

The weekend started off cloudy and cool on Friday and Saturday,

keeping many people away. But the sun came out about noon on Monday,

bringing the crowds with it.

“There are loads of teenagers, lots of families, it’s typical for

Memorial Day,” Lifeguard Capt. Jim Turner said.

Most rescues occurred on the Balboa beaches between 13th and 17th

streets where large crowds fought a stronger current and 3 to 5-foot

surf, he said.

“People get caught in the rip current and get pulled farther out

to sea,” Turner said.

Many lifeguards spent Sunday trying to stay warm but on Monday

even the trainees were busy making rescues and delivering first aid,

he said.

“It was a great day for them,” Turner said.

Incidents included a surfer who broke his collar bone when he hit

the bottom, a 911 call was made when someone fell in the harbor and

at the Balboa Pier, a swimmer hit his head when he tumbled in a wave

and was taken to Hoag hospital for a precautionary check for spinal

cord injury, he said.

On the Corona del Mar jetty, several people started yelling,

throwing rocks and urgently told passing boats to call 911 when some

sea lions crawled up on the rocks, Turner said.

The sea lions, which are very capable and agile on rocks, wanted

to lay out in the sun. But the people thought they were getting hurt

and trying to scare them back into the ocean, he said.

“That’s the kind of day we’ve had,” he said.