Hundreds of weekend beach rescues as big surf and rip currents meet crowds along O.C. coast

Large crowds, big surf and rip currents combined to keep lifeguards busy making hundreds of ocean rescues over the weekend in Huntington, Newport and Laguna beaches.

A few surfers suffered back injuries that sent them to local hospitals.

On Saturday, Huntington city and state beaches reported the highest number of rescues for a single day this year — 287 at Huntington State Beach and 409 at the city beach.

“That’s an insane number for one beach. It’s really a lot,” said Huntington State Beach lifeguard Capt. Kevin Pearsall. “That’s the largest amount of rescues I’ve seen statistically this summer.”

Tropical-style ocean conditions with water temperatures in the mid-70s, paired with scorching inland temperatures in the 90s, lured people to the beaches in droves.

The larger-than-usual number of swimmers and surfers in Huntington Beach were greeted by waves reaching 5 to 7 feet and rip currents that pulled some far from shore, resulting in the many beachgoers needing assistance, authorities said.

Huntington State Beach reported 137 rescues on Sunday; the city beach reported 165.

Further south in Newport Beach, lifeguards said they made 214 rescues on Saturday and 117 on Sunday. With surf reaching 6 feet in some places, officials gave more than 3,000 warnings to beachgoers over the weekend about rip currents and other dangers.

But even a report of a shark sighting Saturday afternoon off 13th Street didn’t keep people from the coast. The beach wasn’t closed after the sighting, but lifeguards put up warning signs.

“It definitely wasn’t a record-setting weekend, but it was busy,” said lifeguard dispatcher Brandon Hodding.

Laguna Beach Marine Safety Lt. Kai Bond said lifeguards there made 372 rescues over the weekend as roughly 65,000 people flocked to the sea.

“A few factors came together and made beach attendance come up. The warm water and weather is part of it,” Bond said. “Being the end of summer, people are trying to get their last beach days in.”