Several years ago, a Newport Harbor Sheriff’s patrol craft rolled in the offshore swells alongside several other law enforcement vessels where drug smugglers had dumped bales of marijuana overboard. Heavy unto themselves, the bales quickly became waterlogged and virtually un-liftable.
A Coast Guard sailor yelled to the others that he’d radio for a crane barge. “Don’t bother,” a Newport deputy sheriff bellowed in response, “We’ve got Gary.”
“Gary” is Captain Gary Lewellyn, a tall, powerfully built man who looks as though he could bench press a yacht. Lewellyn proceeded to lift the bales onto the boat.
Lewellyn is commanding officer of the Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol, which this May celebrates 50 years of service to Newport Harbor, as well as Huntington Harbor, Seal Beach Harbor and Dana Point Harbor, plus points along Orange County’s 43 miles of coastline.
Every day the OC Harbor Patrol speeds beyond the “three-mile limit” to “work in connection with the Coast Guard,” explains Lewellyn. “The Coast Guard engages in low profile missions, and they often hand off call responses to us when we’re the closest emergency vessel during these times.”
The first thing one notices when ushered into Lewellyn’s Newport Beach office is the magnificent view out his window of the bay—a view that waterfront homeowners pay millions to possess. The next notable thing is an intimidatingly heavy barbell indenting the carpet against the wall.
Lewellyn may be one of the most effective PR reps in the Sheriff’s department, proud to expansively share the attributes of the harbor unit of which he has been a member for a decade and has led for the past four years.
That cherished Harbor Patrol assignment comes after a lot of hard work on a variety of assignments, from jail correctional officer to patrolman to shift supervisor.
Being a Sheriff’s harbor patrolman is much more than merely plopping oneself at the wheel of a powerful craft, then watching the harbor slip by during a leisurely harbor tour. After initial training at the rigorous Sheriff’s Academy, newbies are assigned to correctional facilities and maybe the courts. It was during his custodial stint at the county lockup where he received his BA degree in Criminal Justice.
“Subsequent to those assignments, there are patrol operations that require four-to-six months of field training,” said Lewellyn. “Then, after one year, deputies are eligible to request transfer to other divisions and/or special assignments.”
Today, Lewellyn commands 47 sworn law enforcement officers, 22 of whom are assigned to Newport Harbor. But, as he proudly points out, “Our accomplishments require all 62 personnel (both sworn and professional staff) in our bureau to work as a team, and who appreciate each other for what they bring to the table.”
Harbor Patrol operates six fireboats (recognized by their red hulls or red foam-filled gunwales), 10 patrol boats, one port security boat, and one shallow-water rescue boat spread between all harbors. The boats are maintained at a specialized maintenance shop adjacent to the HQ building in Newport. Eleven boats are assigned to Newport Harbor, the largest of the harbors.
Those rarified few applicants who are accepted to Harbor Patrol undergo a minimum of 480 hours of additional, specialized training, some of which includes small boat handling, rules of the road, port security, charting and piloting, firefighting, surface and sub-surface search and rescue (or recovery), boater assistance, advanced first aid, environmental protection, wildlife protection, maritime laws, and much more. And that’s why Lewellyn emphasized the need for 480 hours minimum of additional training.
On a typical patrol day in the harbors, there is always “at least one fireboat on patrol crewed by two deputies. Occasionally, a third member might include a trainee,” Lewellyn shared. Additionally, a single-deputy-operated patrol boat may be deployed.
On the busiest days, it’s common to see two or three additional patrol craft assigned to keeping watch over the crowded and oft-chaotic channels full of such craft as kayaks; stand-up paddle boards; row boats; competitive crew racing shells; jet-skis; surf-paddle boards; stationary fishermen (and women) with hooks dipped in the brine; tour boats; rental boats; occasional SCUBA divers; swimmers; and yachts of all sizes.
Of course, lifesaving, traffic management, and law enforcement are priorities.
Lewellyn cited several examples of recent activity within Newport Harbor: a boat fire; CPR for a cardiac victim; boater rescues for a variety of reasons; medical aids for drowning; recovery of a stolen vessel; and a recovered stolen vessel with suspects still onboard.
He described a recent cooperative interaction with both Newport and Irvine PDs to apprehend a suspect who led a high-speed chase that ended in a vehicle collision in Newport, from which a suspect fled on foot. He stole a watercraft and then illegally took refuge on one of the many unoccupied sailboats moored in the harbor. Harbor Patrol located the suspect, upon which they took action to prevent the suspect from repeatedly stabbing and cutting himself. Once apprehended, he was rushed to the hospital for immediate, life-saving treatment.
State law requires the sheriff’s department of a coastline county to provide law enforcement services in coordination with local, state and federal stake holders. The Harbor Patrol cross trains in many areas with these agencies, including drug interdiction, and terrorism awareness and prevention. In short, “We simply provide the best possible services to Orange County’s citizens; we have the most experience and the best infrastructure to provide such services,” Lewellyn emphasized.
His deputies agree. Deputy Andrew Gutierrez said, “Working at the Harbor Patrol is the perfect mix of adventure and purpose. I get to be on the water while doing something that really matters. Whether it’s a rescue, a safety check or just helping someone out, every day feels rewarding.”
Deputy Ryan Skutvik observed, “I love working Harbor Patrol because no two days are ever the same. We’re always out on the water handling something new. It feels good to know we’re making a difference, keeping people safe and looking out for our coastline. Plus, the crew is like family, and that makes the job even better.”
Lewellyn summed up: “My goal in making our 50th anniversary known to everyone is so we can pay homage to all that have served here, and to thank all of our federal, state and local partners in our harbors to make it the best place to live, work and visit.”
According to Lewellyn, “We could not have gotten here without our partnership with Orange County Parks.”
Unbeknownst to most citizens, according to Lewellyn, “all three of the county’s harbors are either entirely a county park, partially a county park, or multi-jurisdictional to include county parks.
Fifty years ago, in May 1975, OC Parks entrusted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department to fulfill the duties of the Harbor Patrol Bureau.
“Over the years, our partnership with the Parks Department has grown stronger, as has our continuous collaboration with all our coastal cities who deserve special recognition for helping to keep our maritime community safe: Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, and Dana Point,” stated Lewellyn. “I also want to thank the public and local businesses for their support. Success in our job would be impossible without them.”
Commanding the Orange County Harbor Patrol with its myriad challenges is a huge responsibility by anybody’s standards. With the Harbor Patrol’s smooth operations, it’s obvious that Capt. Lewellyn can carry that weight.
