Lt. Richard "Dick" Heineman: R.I.P.

The Memorial Service for Dick Heinman has just been announced, as follows:

Just in from Section Chief JD "Jon" Moryl (Ret.); Re: Lt. Dick Heineman Memorial Service:

    From:     Jon Moryl     Subject:     Richard Heineman Memorial
    Date:     September 23, 2012 9:17:18 PM PDT

Hi Will,

Here's the dope.... 

Saturday, 29 September at 0900 hrs., Ave 23 in Venice.

Thanks,

jd

*** note: adjacent parking lot at end of Venice Blvd. Ave-23 Tower out front of Venice Lifeguard HQ.
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Link to Article regarding Dick Heineman in Culver City Patch:

http://culvercity.patch.com/articles/culver-city-resident-richard-dick-heineman-dies-at-75


Link to Article about Dick Heineman in Santa Monica Mirror:

http://www.smmirror.com/articles/Obituary/Obituary-Long-Time-Santa-Monica-Lifeguard-Richard-Dick-Heineman-Passes-Away/35571

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Sept. 17, 2012

Another Passing...

We received notice (below) this morning from (Ret.) Section Chief, Jon Moryl, of the passing of Dick Heineman.

Lt. Dick Heineman, at center; and flanked by OL Darell Willey, at left; and Section Chief (Ret.) Jon Moryl, at right

"It is with much regret and sadness that I inform you of the passing of Lt. Richard "Dick" Heineman.  He passed away Saturday evening; he had been hospitalized for awhile.  He will missed by all who worked with him.  Dick was the long time Ops lieutenant at SMHQ and retired just prior to the LACOFD merger in 1994.

I will give you more details as they come..."

Jon Moryl

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We located two more photographs from the recent past of Dick at Lifeguard Functions and with lifeguard pals.

"Heineman & Overmire, LLP".  L2R, Dick Heineman and Tom Overmire. 

"Rogue's Gallery".  L2R:  Tom Overmire, Greg Bonann, Jimmy Doman, Adrian Crook, Bill Powers and Dick Heineman.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and loved ones of Dick Heineman.

Many thanks as well to Jon Moryl for posting us and keeping us advised so that we can convey our condolences and keep our lifeguard family in the loop.  Details as to the memorial service will be forthcoming as we hear of them.

Respectfully,


"County Recurrent" News
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note:  All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire.

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Ion Hartunian, R.I.P.

We've just been informed that Veteran LACo OL, Ion Hartunian, passed peacefully in his sleep at home this week.

Close up: Ion Hatunian, top row, center. Venice Lifeguards Summer 1988. Photo source info below.

Ion Hartunian, Los Angeles County Ocean Lifeguard:  June 29, 1979 - January 9, 2012.

LACo OL, Ion Hartunian (R.I.P.), top row, second from left; from Summer 1988. Photo courtesy of Nathalie Locas Brouwer.

In addition to his thirty plus years of lifeguarding, Ion was a very talented and accomplished commercial photographer. Here is the link to his website and a photo of Ion.

http://www.ionhartunian.com/about.html

Photo source:  www.IonHartunian.com

Last but certainly not least, Ion was also a JJ/SMC Alumni Swimmer.  As indicated and confirmed by Dave Kastigar, Ion swam for JJ on the 1978 and 1979 SMC Swim Team.  Ion knew and was friends with many generations of SMC Swimmers from his 30 plus years as an L.A. County Ocean Lifeguard (1979 - 2012).

Ian Hartunian, R.I.P.:  November 10, 1959 - September 11, 2012 

Rest In Peace, brother.

Respectfully,

"County Recurrent" News

Summer Crowds Continue...

With continuing warm air and water temps in Southern California, citizens are still flocking to the beaches...  Have a look at the crowds this past weekend along the shores of Santa Monica and Venice. Plenty of work for LACo OL's with rescues and preventions, with every tower opened on Santa Monica South this past Sunday, 9th, 2012.

And triple digit air temps are expected again this coming weekend with 90's in the valleys by Friday, Sept. 14th.  So the crowds will likely be back and OL's are advised to make themselves available asap!

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Until next time.....


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

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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Forget the tea leaves, just have a look at the clouds...

 Summer 2012 is done. Get over it!  The times they are a changin'...  For clues, look up and check out the clouds.  Who needs tea leaves when you've got the Big Kahuna's brushwork?!... just sayin'...  Well, see for yourself!

 

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(All photos by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.  All Rights Reserved).

Until next time.....


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

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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"It's A Wrap!"...

End of shift at approx. 1930 hrs at SMS Tower #22, Labor Day 2012 (Sept. 3rd).  Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.  All Rights Reserved.  Used here with permission.

Summer 2012 ended with a four day set of aquatic fireworks in Central and Northern Section, as previously discussed in the preceding blog post on the Southern Swell that began this past Friday, August 31st and was still grinding its way on shore on Labor Day.  One blitz rip erupted Labor Day evening at approx. 1700 hrs just south of SMS Tower #20 with 7 guards in the water retrieving up to 12 victims... on a one foot tide with sets still breaking in the 3' - 5' (wave face) range ... and not leaving any of us alot of room to duck and hide either.  As I mentioned to another guard last nite, there were 3 body boarders and the balance were swimmers caught up in this hoover vacuum cleaner sucking people toward Catalina feet first in 6 - 8 feet of water.  The guards in the water were as follows:

Kevin Williamson and Cadet Toby Contarsy from T-20 hit the water first, followed by Elle Quane and myself as we saw the rip the same time as the T-20 guards and we just took off running.  Next came Kevin Maxwell from T-24, then Lacie Beattie from T-25, followed by Cooper from T-18 and Brandon Snell from T-17!!! Fantastic instincts on the part of both Brandon and Lacie to evaluate the number of guards in the water vs. the number of victims and to make the correct decision to haul a** to the rip and swim out and help out.  At one point I looked around and saw each of these guards and our cadet in the water and I was so impressed and knew instinctively that we had some exceptional lifeguards working yesterday.  Brandon and I locked eyes at one point and grinned at each other.  Meanwhile, Baywatch Santa Monica rolled up and the deck hand was getting ready to help Elle out with her two victims (one body boarder and one swimmer) and she tells them, "I've got it!, and then proceeded to swim both of her victims into shore by herself. You can do that when you are an All American Water Polo Player and four year Varsity Water Polo Player at UCSB!  (Go Gauchos!... just sayin'.) 

On a personal note, it was a real blast working yesterday at SMS Tower 22 with OL Elle Quane, just graduated from UCSB with a degree in Sociology. Her family was on the beach and got to witness her make a great rescue out front of T-22 around 1 pm.  Elle was in the water multiple times during the day and ended up working a 10 hour shift!  Also helping out yesterday was LACo Cadet JG, Toby Contarsy, who is such a fun kid and very, very fast in the water and so very keen to the currents in the ocean.  At one point I used my binoculars to see who was on the deck in the light blue t-shirt and navy blue shorts and the large brimmed LACo hat but no red rescue can hanging.  Then this described person put up his hands mimicking binoculars and looking straight at me.  Then I noticed the yellow can and I put it together and raised both my arms!  The kid is sharp!  Hilarious moment during a day of much action.

So much to say about this past Summer 2012, now officially over with the passing of the annual rites of Labor Day nationwide.  What A Summer!  We will recount its highlights at a later point when we can walk without the aches and pains brought on by multiple incursions into the ocean during the past 3 days...   :-)

And here are few more from Labor Day Evening's developing sunset as we closed the tower along Santa Monica South at the end of shift.

 (All photos above by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.  All Rights Reserved.)

Last but not least, and this is a Very Special Treat!... we say goodbye to Summer 2012 and leave you with four Spectacular photos from Zuma during the sunset last nite, also on Labor Day, by OLS, Bob Janis (Ret.), including his remarks...

"Beautiful Zuma sunset, capping an awesome 3 day holiday weekend of big surf, rescues, prevents, etc.

"

"More sunset beauty at Zuma beach, wow what a way to end Summer 2012."

"The reward for an awesome summer 2012."

"How about the verga showers and lighting.
That's Leo Carrillo to the west."

 (The four (4) preceding Sunset Photos from Zuma are photos by & Copyright Bob Janis 2012. All Rights Reserved. Used here with permission.)

*** Thanks BJ!  ***

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Until next time.....


Will Maguire, Editor
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

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September's Southern Swell 2012!

Wow!  It's been Extreme. It's been Exciting!  It's Been Profound!...

Zuma has seen some truly Awesome surf, with Rips, Blitz Rescues and Baywatch Zuma hauling in stranded and panicked swimmers delivered by Zuma OL's.  Bravo to our Zuma guards!

Zuma OL, Lance Keene, said this about the surf and the conditions yesterday, Sat., Sept. 1, 2012:

"So, on a typical day at Zuma (there's never a "typical day"), you plan on "pounding the berm" for at least half of your shift, but yesterday was different. Large surf, monster rips, wind chop and large crowds kept most of the Guards on the beach doing a yeoman's job making prevents--trying to keep swimmers close and out of harm's way. There were many heroic rescues that showed the professionalism and fitness of LA County's best, usually on young studs that failed to respect the force of the ocean and wanting to prove their mettle. Fortunately, we were there to give them back to their mommy's and, like I said before, "All went home alive". As Bone said, the Zuma Guards were, indeed "pulling people out of rips like tuna" and Baywatch was constantly a critical part of the team. Two of my adventures ended with swimming a victim out to the Boat due to the size and power of the rips. One victim said he'd swam at Zuma all his life (32 Male) and never felt something this powerful. He was so shaken up, he needed extra time on Baywatch to gather his courage to jump in and let me swim him to shore. A couple of hours later there was a dramatic blitz rescue that filled Baywatch with guards and victims. Upon swimming to shore we were met with standing applause, something so surreal and unexpected, we just looked at each other and grinned sheepishly. However, as we were heading back to our towers, one of the guards said out loud, "there's nothing like a blitz to clear the beach". We all looked around and no one was in the water. Surreal for sure, but a great day to be a Zuma Guard."

*** Thanks Lance !

OLS Bob Janis (Ret.) sent us some photos and commentary of the surf at Zuma today, as follows:

"This is PDC-5 ( House Tower ) with big southern hemisphere set of waves.  It is 1600 hrs, low tide and he guards are busy with maximum holiday crowds, monster rips and overhead waves, making many prevents and rescues."

Photo by & Copyright Bob Janis 2012.

Digital shot (below) from cliff above Zuma 1 looking west.  The Zuma operation included guards on the beach making rescues and prevents, maximum crowds, Baywatch Malibu, Zuma 341, A34 and PWC dispatched to assist the beach guards.

The swell really came on strong Sunday afternoon.

Photo by & Copyright Bob Janis 2012.

"Sunday @ 1600 hrs. The Southern Hemisphere is pumping @ PDC-5. ( House Tower )"

Photo by & Copyright Bob Janis 2012.

*** Thanks BJ! 


In Central Section, Venice has seen Epic Surf, with blitz rescues along the Avenues and at the Venice Pier.   Santa Monica South has gone off... with rips, rescues, prevents and today a wet c-spine injury at Tower 25, with four guards assisting the victim into shore, followed by the area unit and the call car.  OL Justin Kirby remarked that OL/EMT Ian Christensen impressively marshaled the resources and saw to the care of the victim and his transport to the waiting SMFD Paramedics. 

The Southern Swell was still bringing in large waves today. Check out this next photo taken at approx. 9:30 a.m. at SMS Tower #26.

SMS Tower #26, Sept. 2, 2012 at Tower #26. Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.

L2R, OL Justin Kirby and OLS Rick Solomon on the berm at SMS Tower #24,  Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012 in the early afternoon standing of a recurring rip. Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.

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Until next time.....


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

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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September 1st: "It's A Whole New Rating Year!"

Santa Monica South.  Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.

 Have you got your days in yet?  Don't wait until Spring!  Get started early.  Should we get the warm days of September and October that we usually do, get some days in this Fall.

Zuma Beach.  Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.

FYI:

Steps 4 and 5 (seniority) need only 4 days in a tower.

All the rest of you younger guys and gals need to get 10 days per year in the tower.

If you are a recurrent (aka, OL) and don't take a summer schedule, then we recommend that you get some days in this Fall if you can.

Manhattan Beach. Photo by & Copyright Will Maguire 2012.

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Until next time.....


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

Service • Training • Commitment

*** Keeping the County Recurrent "in the loop"..... whether he/she likes it or NOT ! ***

DISCLAIMER: County Recurrent is not affiliated with nor sponsored by LACOLA or LACoFD.

*** PLEASE forward to other Recurrents, past and present, so that we can add them to our mailing list. ***

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