Boat’s speed defended

Newport Harbor Patrol officials on Thursday defended their response to an emergency call, after a patrol boat racing across the harbor accidentally killed a swan beloved in the community.

On Wednesday afternoon Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol deputies were rushing to the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, where a body was reported in the water, when Rupert the swan crossed the boat’s path.

The accident reignited general concerns about the speed and other operations of patrol boats in Newport Harbor.

Independent of the accident, the city’s harbor commission Wednesday set up a subcommittee to discuss complaints with the Harbor Patrol.

City Councilman Tod Ridgeway raised a question many people were asking Thursday: “I just don’t understand what’s the hurry to get to a dead body,” he said. “One, what was the hurry, and two, why didn’t they avoid the swan?”

Harbor Patrol officials said their speed — 25 to 30 mph — was warranted under the circumstances. Even if the call reports a dead body, they have to assume there’s a chance the person might still be saved, Harbor Patrol Sgt. David Ginther said.

“The response is to get there as quickly as possible and save a life, if that’s possible,” he said.

If patrol boats traveled at the legal speed limit of 5 mph, he said, it could take up to 30 minutes to cross the harbor. In an emergency situation, that’s unacceptable, Ginther said.

The boat’s driver could have swerved to avoid the swan but would then have risked crashing into a metal navigation marker, he added.

Swimming is forbidden in the harbor’s main channel, so there’s little likelihood of a patrol boat hitting a person, Ginther said.

But others said Harbor Patrol boats routinely speed and also give residents other reasons to complain.

“One of those concerns is I think they go charging around the bay way too often, way too fast,” harbor commissioner Seymour Beek said Thursday. Beek lives on the water and operates the Balboa Island ferry. “I think it happens way more often than is necessary.”

City Councilman Ed Selich said people tell him the Harbor Patrol isn’t always boater-friendly and can be quick to notice a violation and write a ticket.

“They have more of a law-enforcement attitude than a park-ranger attitude,” Selich said.

The city has talked with the county about taking over Harbor Patrol operations, but city officials said that’s not likely to move forward soon because of political obstacles.

A first-ever pact between Newport Beach and Orange County, which the City Council will consider next week, will include a comprehensive study of harbor issues including law enforcement.

Regardless of the swan’s death, harbor commissioner John Corrough said overall he’s happy with the job the harbor patrol does keeping people safe.

“It’s a difficult job, and it gets more complex as more people visit this harbor every year and more people use it,” he said.

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