2014 Lifeguard Medal of
Valor Award Recipients:
Rescue Boat Captain
Lee Davis
Ocean Lifeguard Specialist
Lars Gustafson
On October 9th, 2013 Los Angeles received its
first and arguably its strongest winter storm of the 2013-2014-winter
season. Heavy rain and gale force winds
battered the Los Angeles County coastline for much of the day and well into the
evening hours. At 1945 hours a faint
mayday call was put out over Marine VHF channel 16 in the Marina del Rey
area. All that was heard by the on duty Baywatch
del Rey crew was, “Mayday…..we’re going on the rocks……marina…….
RBC Davis and OLS Gustafson responded Code R to the Marina del
Rey break wall entrance, knowing by experience this was the most likely
location for a boater in these conditions to find trouble. The normally calm area was awash with 8 to 10
foot surf kicked up by the 45 mph winds. The large surf was breaking onto the
jagged, barnacle covered rocks with a deafening boom. To add to the already difficult job of
operating a boat in such extreme weather conditions, was a literal minefield of
lobster hoop nets floating on the surface.
Only small flashing strobe lights could be seen piercing the dark night
to denote the hoop net locations.
Once on scene the Baywatch Del Rey crew arrived on scene to
find a 25’ Wellcraft powerboat already being battered against the rocks of the
break wall. With each wave the boat was
slammed against the rocks, cracking the fiberglass and pouring hundreds of
gallons of sea water into the boat. As
RBC Davis positioned the boat to attempt a stern tow rescue of the boat, the
crew’s worst fears were realized. The
combination of the pounding surf and sea water in the vessel caused the vessel
to capsize. The vessel’s two occupants
were ejected into the swirling surf between the rocks and what was left of the
splintered hull.
Without hesitation or need for consultation, the crew
switched gears from a boat rescue scenario to an attempt to save the lives of
two people in the water.
In what can only be described as masterful boat operating,
Capt. Davis positioned the boat in a safe location to drop OLS Gustafson in the
water for a contact rescue of the 2 mariners.
Leaping from the swim step of the Baywatch rescue boat into some of the
most dangerous conditions a lifeguard can ever be in, OLS Gustafson sprinted
towards the rocks to rescue the young boy and his father.
OLS Gustafson made contact with the young boy near the rocks
and swam him out through the surf, while RBC Davis positioned the Baywatch rescue
boat in a perfect location as to avoid wrapping one of its propellers in the
field hoop nets. With the son safe aboard Baywatch del Rey, OLS Gustafson again
made his way into the impact zone to rescue the father. Assisted by two lifeguards from 2 other Baywatch
rescue boats in the area for a training class, the father was brought safely out
of the danger zone.
Upon reaching safety, the crew debriefed the operator of the
vessel and discovered that the now capsized vessel’s propeller became wrapped
on one of its own hoop nets and was rendered inoperable, leading to the
catastrophe. Unfortunately, the vessel
was totally destroyed by the surf and broke up on the break wall.
The actions of RBC Davis and OLS Gustafson on the night of
October 9th 2013 were extraordinary, and executed flawlessly. Without the exemplary actions of OLS
Gustafson and RBC Davis the two mariners would have surely perished. Their actions are in keeping with the highest
demands of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards and display true dedication to the
core values of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
 |
| Lee Davis |
 |
| Lars Gustafson |
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Distinguished Service
Award
In the early afternoon of
June 22, 2013, a brush fire in the Point Dume area of Malibu rapidly progressed
as the offshore breeze began to strengthen.
Within a relative short amount of time, the Point Dume Club residential
area was in the direct path of the growing fire, as Los Angeles County Fire
Department / Lifeguard Division personnel were requested to the incident with
other in-bound County Fire resources.
Northern Battalion Lifeguard Captain Simon Snyder and Ocean Lifeguard
Specialists Ryan Addison and Tim Ryan arrived on-scene, donned their brush gear
and joined County Fire’s Engine 69 and Squad 88 to gain a handle on the blaze
as it marched ever closer to homes in that area. Lifeguard Captain Remy Smith joined the fire
fight, in addition to other County Fire resources that were not assigned to an
additional fire that had ignited prior to the Point Dume incident, in the
Encinal Canyon area of Malibu. The
aforementioned Lifeguards worked with their Fire counterparts to gain the upper
hand on the fire and cleared additional brush in the collective effort to
protected life and property. Our
Lifeguard personnel did an outstanding job in mitigating the potential danger
that the Point Dume Fire presented to that area, on the first full day of the
summer of 2013.
---
Scott Davey - 2014 Lifeguard
Lifetime Achievement Award
Scott began his Los Angeles County Lifeguard career in 1971,
where he worked at Zuma Beach, Malibu, Leo Carrillo, Pt. Dume and Corral
Beaches.
He transferred to the South Bay
in 1973 and spent the next 23 years working the South Bay’s many beaches from Cabrillo
and Palos Verdes to Marina del Rey, as well as Catalina Island.
In 1996, after 26 years as a seasonal lifeguard, Scott was
hired as a Permanent Lifeguard (Ocean Lifeguard Specialist) and was assigned to
Santa Monica, Will Rogers, Venice Beaches, and Baywatch Cabrillo. In 1999, he was detailed to oversee the
Nation’s largest Junior Lifeguard Program.
In 2001, Scott was promoted to Beach Captain, where he
served as Lifeguard Division’s PIO and Beach Captain on Cabrillo, Santa Monica,
Will Rogers and Venice Beaches.
Scott was promoted in 2005 to Section Chief and assigned as the
Training Chief for Lifeguard Division. His
responsibilities included the training for Lifeguard Division’s 900 seasonal
and permanent lifeguards, the Junior Lifeguard Program and Public Affairs for
Lifeguard Division. He retired as the
Training Section Chief in 2009, after serving the County for 39 years.
Scott was raised in Rancho Palos Verdes where he attended
Miraleste High School and was an All-American Swimmer. He went to San Diego State University, where
he swam and played water polo before graduating with a degree in Geography in
1976.
Scott lives in Hermosa Beach with his wife Shannon, (a
retired Lifeguard Captain). They have a
wonderful and talented 11 year-old son, Reese.
Scott has two brothers who are also Ocean Lifeguards, one for San Diego
City and the other with Los Angeles County.
Scott has competed on 23 Taplin Teams for Los Angeles County
and numerous Lifeguard National Championship teams. He has rowed the Catalina Channel a dozen
times, three times solo. He also
completed the 32 mile Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race in 2003, at age
50. He has held a US Coast Guard masters
license since 1991 and has sailed over 8,000 open ocean miles including
multiple trips to Hawaii and Mexico.
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Special Recognition Award
Joi Inscore (Wife of
Lifeguard Captain Mike Inscore AND OL Hogan's mom)
On Thursday June 19, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Joi
Inscore was walking at low tide starting from Topaz and heading south towards Palos
Verdes. As she was approaching the end of the beach she noticed a surfer
floating on his back in knee-deep water just offshore. The surfer had on a full suit and his board
was still leashed to his leg. She watched him for about 20 or 30 seconds
and noticed he was not moving. At this point she realized something was
wrong. She quickly entered the water and noticed that the surfer was
ghostly white and was unable to move. She immediately held his head up out of
the water and was careful not to move his spine for fear of injuring him
further. She asked him what happened. The patient could not speak clearly.
The only word he managed to say was "STROKE". Joi screamed for
help and was assisted by the Palos Verdes Surf Camp. Lifeguard Units from
Torrance Beach and Avenue C responded to the scene as well as units from
Torrance Fire and Los Angeles County Fire Station 2. When the lifeguards arrived, Joi had the
surfer lying on his back, stabilizing his head and was taking spinal
precautions. While lifeguards evaluated
the patient Joi assisted with oxygen therapy.
The lifeguard in that area was not due to come on
duty until 11:00 a.m. Had Joi not
reacted so swiftly and decisively the surfer would surely have drown.
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Congratulations to all this year's Award Recipients. This annual event is a great opportunity for our lifeguard family to acknowledge our colleague's lifesaving efforts. Many Thanks as well to Dave Story for allowing us to publish the above remarks and photos.
10-4
Until next time.....
"County Recurrent" News
http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com
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