By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
This week I want to take a moment to recognize and commend the exceptional efforts of the Newport Beach Fire Department Lifeguard Division during an extraordinarily busy July 4 weekend.
With warm temperatures, sizable surf, and the holiday falling on a Friday, Newport Beach experienced a surge in visitors to our beaches. Anticipating the high demand, the City deployed additional lifeguards, paramedics, an extra engine company, and added command staff to ensure public safety throughout the weekend.
On July 4 alone, our Newport Beach Lifeguards performed 351 ocean rescues, an enormous single-day number. One high-profile incident involved the rescue of 10 swimmers caught in a powerful rip current. The rescue was captured on video by a Huntington Beach Police Department helicopter and received widespread media coverage. Most importantly, despite the challenging water conditions, no drownings occurred.
Throughout the three-day weekend, lifeguards performed a total of 654 rescues and made 11,000 public safety contacts, working tirelessly to protect the estimated 285,000 people who visited our coastline.
The weekend concluded with the annual Ben Carlson Memorial on the sand near the site of Ben’s final rescue on July 6, 2014. Thank you to the members of our community who joined the ceremony honoring Ben’s legacy.
Please join me in thanking all of our first responders for their dedication and commitment to protecting our community during this holiday weekend and beyond.
NB Fire Department Urges Summer Safety Precautions
Following one of the City’s busiest holiday weekends in recent memory, the Newport Beach Fire Department urges the public to prioritize safety by observing the following:
- Swim only near staffed lifeguard towers.
- Obey blackball flags and avoid restricted surf zones.
- Refrain from digging deep holes in the sand.
- Do not use fireworks — they are illegal in Newport Beach.
- As you enjoy summer grilling, please remember:
- Follow your grill manufacturer’s safety guidelines.
- Keep your BBQ a safe distance from your home or structure.
- Never leave a grill unattended.
Homelessness Update
Last week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
- Placed a person in a motel pending an intake at the Yale Navigation Center.
- Enrolled four people into services.
- Continued to shelter people. Twenty-one people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
