SOUNDING OFF: Laguna was missing in action on rescue

Editor’s note: The following was addressed to Laguna Beach Interim Police Chief Paul Workman.

?

As I am sure you are aware, there was a major deployment of rescue personnel and gear to Crescent Bay in the late afternoon of May 9 to locate a diver reported injured and missing (“Three pulled from ocean,” May 15). Fortunately, it was very much later learned that the diver had made his own way to South Coast Medical Center for treatment.

Observation of this event as it unfolded directly in front of my home on Crescent Bay has raised some issues in my mind.

The first responder on the scene was a Sheriff’s Department boat, likely from Newport Beach. Shortly thereafter, one of the Sheriff’s Department “community” helicopters also arrived, presumably to assist looking into the water and around the rocks.

Approximately 10 minutes later, a second Sheriff’s launch arrived from the direction of Newport Beach, which included a complement of divers and rescue swimmers with their gear. Finally, an Orange County Fire Service helicopter arrived on station, likely from its Fullerton airport base, judging from the flight path and arrival time. All of this equipment took up the search on arrival, the first Sheriff’s boat seemingly taking up the lead by communicating with the reporting party on shore via hailer.

Only 15 minutes later, or after the arrival of all of this equipment from remote points, did the first Laguna Beach Police officer arrive on scene.

There was never an appearance from any members of the Marine Safety department at any time.

How it is possible that boats from Newport and a helicopter from Fullerton could arrive so quickly, while our own so-called “first responders” were there late into the event?

It was disheartening to hear the Sheriff’s officers repeatedly hail the shore, “Is there anyone from the Laguna Beach Police there yet?”

All of this raises some disturbing questions. First, let’s assume the 911 call was made from the beach and, due to the locations, it was routed to the Orange County 911 Center, which dispatched county assistance first.

In this case, did they communicate with Laguna promptly and if not, why not? If they did, why weren’t Laguna’s resources on scene, on the shore with the reporting party in short order?

Second, if the 911 call did come to the Laguna police dispatch center, again, how is it possible there was so much of a county response so long before Laguna’s? It must take at least 20 minutes before a Sheriff’s launch could make it down the coast from Newport and longer to assemble a full rescue crew.

Lastly, why were there no (supposedly white water rescue trained) lifeguards from our Marine Safety Department ever on site? I do understand they were tied up in a rescue earlier in the afternoon, but I believe this incident was at least 90 minutes later in the day.

(The security cameras surrounding my home surely caught most of the activity, so I would imagine that a pretty accurate timeline and personnel identification could be constructed if push came to shove.)

I’d certainly appreciate learning more about why this rescue response unfolded this way. We can only be thankful that the injured diver turned up OK (but without the help of anyone from Laguna Beach’s emergency services).

JOHN C. HALL lives in Laguna Beach.