The 2013 Santa Monica Pier Paddleboard Race & Ocean Festival looked to be an exciting day given the strong southern swell producing enormous waves and a very strong lateral current heading toward the pier.
The L.A. County Lifeguards fielded their "Rescue" personnel (rescue swimmers, rescue boats, paddlers and jet skis) and it didn't take long to get wet. First, it was the dory's that started to get slammed and overturned, and then came the One Mile Swim. A huge set greeted the women's start... and multiple swimmers had to be rescued. Wave faces of nearly 10 feet slammed down on the swimmers as they were simultaneously being swept toward the pier and further north of the first left shoulder buoy they had to now swim back to...
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What a spectacle of surf and rescue work it was ! Our lifeguards were up to the task and made dozens of rescues of swimmers, assisting paddlers, and helping dory crews flip their boats back over and gathering equipment and oars ransacked by the surf.
10-4
(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2013. All Rights Reserved.)
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Until next time.....
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com
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