Man who drowned boogie boarding at Crystal Cove identified

The body of a man who drowned Sunday afternoon while boogie boarding at Crystal Cove in Newport Beach has been identified, an Orange County Sheriff’s Department spokesman reported Thursday.

Sgt. Todd Hylton confirmed the victim was identified by the county coroner’s office as Charles Maldonado, 45, of Upland. His death appears to have been accidental.

Maldonado was visiting the Newport Beach shoreline with his family and boogie boarding near a rocky part of the shoreline closest to Lifeguard Tower C6 shortly before 1 p.m. when the incident occurred, according to Orange Coast District State Park Supt. Kevin Pearsall.

State lifeguards at Crystal Cove Sunday responded to a 12:51 p.m. call of a person unconscious in the water. Efforts to resuscitate Charles Maldonado, of Upland, were unsuccessful.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

An initial call for lifeguard assistance came in at 12:51 p.m. regarding an unconscious person in the water. Paramedics with the Newport Beach Fire Department also responded. Pearsall said the drowning may have been related to injuries that Maldonado sustained while in the water.

“He was recovered from the water and was basically worked on with lifeguards and paramedics on scene for roughly 20 to 25 minutes,” he said. “There were physical injuries that indicated there had been some type of trauma.”

Efforts to resuscitate Maldonado were unsuccessful, and he was declared dead at the scene.

It is unclear whether water conditions may have contributed to the incident. A high surf weather advisory was issued this week for Orange County coastlines, where waves up to 8 feet were recorded in some areas, according to the National Weather Service’s San Diego office.

News

With high surf reported in O.C., surfers hit the beaches

The high surf warning issued by the National Weather Service in San Diego will continue through Thursday morning.

July 20, 2022

Meteorologist James Brotherton said surf conditions in Newport Beach on Sunday were a bit calmer, with waves reaching from 4 to 6 feet with a 20-second period of swell. The temperature of the ocean on that day was recorded as 63 degrees Fahrenheit.

“That’s a pretty high surf, though it’s not unusual,” Brotherton said Thursday. “There was a high risk for rip current, which is really dangerous — a lot of people get into trouble with rip currents.”

Brotherton said the relatively heavy surf conditions Sunday may have presented challenges to the average swimmer.

“That’s not super heavy for Newport Beach, but it’s nothing to ignore either,” he added.

Support our coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.