High surf, rip currents and crowds keeping lifeguards busy

Big crowds seeking relief from the summer heat, paired with large surf and strong rip currents, kept area lifeguards on their toes with hundreds of rescues over the weekend, and more turbulent surf is anticipated Tuesday and Wednesday.

Hurricane Eugene, which is swirling in the Pacific Ocean off Mexico, is expected to send large waves and rip currents to south-facing Orange County beaches, according to the National Weather Service.

Five- to 8-foot sets are expected, with some as large as 10 feet. Strong rip currents are expected to accompany the high surf, according to the agency.

Over the weekend, a south swell brought elevated surf to local beaches as crowds in the hundreds of thousands sought a reprieve from toasty temperatures inland. Those factors led to more rescues than normal, lifeguards said.

Newport Beach lifeguards made 207 rescues over the weekend, according to lifeguard Battalion Chief Brent Jacobsen.

Lifeguards in Huntington Beach also reported more than 200 rescues.

Laguna Beach guards made 96 rescues Saturday and 211 on Sunday, officials said.

Local agencies said they plan to have all their lifeguard towers staffed for the upcoming swell.

Newport guards sought to chat with beachgoers over the weekend before they entered the water to warn them of potentially dangerous swimming conditions.

They plan to continue the tactic this week.

“It shouldn’t overwhelm us,” Jacobsen said of the upcoming swell. “It’s a significant surf event, but it’s nothing we’re not prepared for.”

Jacobsen said swimmers should always stay near a lifeguard and refrain from drinking alcohol before entering the water.

If a swimmer gets stuck in a rip current, the best tactic is to swim parallel to the shore instead of trying to fight the current, he said.

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