Summer of 2014: What's Next!?...

Dangerous surf, drownings, a swimmer bitten by a Great White Shark, an on duty lifeguard death in Newport Beach, and a Lightning strike on the sand and in the water in Venice with one fatality plus an off duty lifeguard who required CPR to be resuscitated. The Summer of 2014 has already had its full share of drama and heartbreak.

July has, indeed, been a busy and frenetic month with large swells at Abalone Cove stranding swimmers and catching others off guard and unable to stay afloat and, unfortunately, to later drown.  On July 5th, a swimmer in Manhattan Beach was bitten by a Great White Shark. The next day on July 6th, a Newport Beach lifeguard lost his life while performing a rescue in heavy surf.  Twenty minutes earlier on July 6th in the same general area of Newport Beach, an off duty Huntington Beach state lifeguard had a serious spinal injury while body surfing and was fortunate to have been observed and evacuated to the hospital where he continues to recover.  Then this past weekend on Sunday, July 26th, lightning struck on Venice beach, killing a 20 year old swimmer and incapacitating at least two other persons in the water, both of whom fortunately were resuscitated and survived.

And so we wonder.... What's Next?!...

x-ref; linked stories:

•  Shark Incident

http://patch.com/california/manhattanbeach/shark-attacks-swimmer-just-south-of-manhattan-beach-pier#.U9hzl0jlciQ

http://m.tbrnews.com/news/manhattan_beach/robles-rescue-quick-thinking-calm-and-experience-help-shark-attack/article_b600f95a-085c-11e4-b875-0019bb2963f4.html

• Drownings and Rescues at Abalone Cove

http://abc7.com/news/2-men-rescue-teen-from-water--caught-on-tape/167403/

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Body-Recovered-Near-Where-Teen-Swimmer-Went-Missing-266936051.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_LABrand

•  Ben Carlson On Duty Death & Paddle Out

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/07/07/newport-beach-community-mourns-loss-of-popular-lifeguard/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_5MUAiFnms

http://countyrecurrent.blogspot.com/2014/07/ben-carlson-rip-paddle-out-photos-videos.html

•  Venice Lightning

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140728/notre-dame-high-school-grad-died-in-sundays-lightning-strike-at-venice-beach


http://www.myfoxla.com/story/26144141/lifeguard-victim-of-lightning-strike-improving-vigil-set-for-student-killed

http://news.yahoo.com/california-lifeguard-injured-lightning-improves-230152941.html

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One lesson to learn is to appreciate today.  Try to live life to its fullest because we don't know what tomorrow will bring.

Respectfully submitted,


"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

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The 2014 CSLSA Regionals: Photos & Videos...

Dateline:  Saturday, July 26, 2014, at Huntington State Beach between lifeguard towers 13 an 14, in Huntington Beach, California.

Everybody's going to Regionals!... woof !...

*** Video Alert ! ***

Video #1:  2014 CSLSA Regionals

     http://youtu.be/AoyiR9Knm7Y


Come back, Shane, er, Jay...

Team Cal State, below...

Team LACo Surf Lifesaving, below...

Whew... he's back!

 LACo OL, Taylor Spivey, crushing the field in the Open Women's 2K beach run...

 

OLS, Dave Cartlidge, engaging the after burners 200 yards out from the finish and sealing his victory in the men's open 2K beach run...

Witness the fitness...

*** Video Alert ! ***

Video #2: First Heat Men's Open Surf Swim... At the Starting Line

     http://youtu.be/gbWpIvz7oR8

 

What the.... ok, now what the heck event is that below streaking by outside the surf line...

looks like someone is having a ball on this surfski party wave, below...

The voice of CSLSA Regionals..... Rob McGowan!...

 meanwhile over on the dory course... a dory crew had some fun on a wave...

OL Tucker Hopkins, below, chilling before the first heat of the men's open board race...

and later Tucker Hopkins and Brian Murphy teamed up on the board rescue relay...

and then a whale showed up in the surf line...

LACo OLS/Paramedic (Ret.), below... just after the paddleboard race...

Hey Mel!... yeah you!...

Next came the heats and finals of the men's open and age group in the International Ironman...

In the International Ironman (swim, surfski, paddle), in the men's open, OL Brian Murphy caught a wave on the outside and milked it all the way to shore!... which sealed his victory by a huge margin over the rest of the field...

and then came the Men's open run-swim-run...

followed by the men's age group run-swim-run...

..... and then we split and walked to the Huntington Beach Pier to check out the 2014 U.S. Open of Surfing... which is another story for another day.....

The 2014 CSLSA Regionals were impressive with lots of athletic talent and enthusiasm on display.  It was a lot of fun to watch and behold.  Congratulations to all the teams and all the competitors, as well as to all the volunteers who made this event possible.  I think everyone will agree that they had a whale of a good time...

10-4

(All photos and videos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2014.)

Until next time.....

"County Recurrent" News

http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

p.s. a few outtakes and gems that sum up this very spectacular event... for your consideration:

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