SMS Breaking Loose!...

Dateline: Wednesday afternoon, July 29, 2015... along Santa Monica South.

Rip current off of SMS Tower #17 at left of frame below...

Standing by at SMS Tower #17 below, Rookie LACo OL, Dustin Miller!  We were happy to see Dustin on duty as the last time we saw him was at the conclusion of last fall's Rookie Candidate Swim when he successfully made the cut in the swim...

x-ref:  http://countyrecurrent.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-2014-laco-rookie-swim-test-photos.html

A 10 year veteran LACo Lakes Lifeguard, Dustin is stoked to be on the beach!

Check out the surf at SMS Tower #18!

LACo OL, Eric, on duty at SMS Tower #18.

LACo OL, Justin and Colin, at SMS Tower #22...

Below, OL Justin Kirby "watching the water!"...

LACo OL, Brandon Henry Snell, watching the water at SMS Tower #24...

*** Video Alert! ***

Rescue At SMS Tower #24: The Video

     https://youtu.be/GNVFlNJ1ckk


Baywatch Santa Monica was on top of matters along SMS with Capt.  Matt Lutton and OLS Lars Gustafson on board!...

And no sooner than we had left Tower #24 than we noticed a rescue in progress at SMS Tower #26 with OL Cooper Moeschler in the water, with the BW rescue boat backed in to assist...

*** Video Alert ! ***

Rescue At SMS Tower #26: The Video

     https://youtu.be/uGYeEhcN72w

No way!... JAWS Jr.

Below, the view toward SMS Tower #26 and Venice beyond...

And about face, the view from the beach looking toward SMS Tower #25 and the Santa Monica Pier beyond...

 OL Nestor at SMS Tower #25, using his binoculars!... Well done!

Behind SMS Tower #18, thunder clouds in background stacking up against the Hollywood hills and the San Gabriel Mountains...

OL Dustin Miller, below, making preventions and moving some swimmers around at SMS Tower #16...

SMS Tower #16 was doubled and the senior OL on duty there was Taylor Manuel...

10-4

Until next time.....

"County Recurrent" News

http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

p.s.  And in the day's biggest surprise, in the men's locker room at CSHQ we discovered BEER!

(All photos and videos by & © Will Maguire 2015.)

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Will Rogers Overview at 1900 hours...

Will Rogers Lifeguard Headquarters

Dateline: Sunday, July 26, 2015... from the bluffs above Will Rogers State Beach...

We think it was veteran LACo OL, Tom Fink, who so enjoys our Will Rogers series' of blog posts that we knew it was time that we returned to the bluffs and shot some more such photos. So here ya'all go...  :-)

The view down Swarthmore Ave., in Pacific Palisades, leading to the bluffs...

Tower #8 at Temescal Cyn Road and PCH...

Tower #10... just south of Tower #8...

A lone sailboat working its way along the coast...

Check out the new Toyota trucks parked at WRHQ!  The Yellow Ford Escapes are gone.

Tower #12... nobody home...

Tower #15...

Tower #18 at  Santa Monica Canyon open for business...

Santa Monica North cameo...

Below, a BMW commercial being shot on the bluffs at the end of Swarthmore Ave...

Tower #8 again...

U-turn accomplished... and heading back to MDR...

Tower #5 adjacent to the Bel-Air Bay Club, open for business...

Tower #7, just north of Tower #8...

Check out the line-up of cars trying to get out of the parking lot at Tower #8... for those who know there are two additional exits from the parking lot... (1) there is a new exit north of Temescal and behind Tower #6; and the exit just south of WRHQ...

 A LACo OL "watching the water" from the deck of Tower #7...

LACoFD Helo fly by over Will Rogers Tower #8...

Binoculars in hand... the guard at Tower #7 watches the water!

close up... sort of...  Well done on the binos!...

Parting shot of Tower #7...

10-4

Until next time.....

"County Recurrent" News

http://CountyRecurrent.blogspot.com

(All photos by & © Will Maguire 2015.)

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OL Ben Francis, R.I.P.

LACo Ocean Lifeguard, Ben Francis, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly this past Tuesday, July 22, 2015 in the morning.  The photo above of Ben is from 2013 and was taken by Joel Gitelson.  Chief Steve Moseley sent out the following memorandum regarding Ben this past Wed., July 23rd.

A Cabrillo beach local and on schedule this summer there as well, Ben is shown in the next four photos on duty earlier this year during the annual Polar Bear swim held at Cabrillo beach on Jan. 1st, captured again by Photographer-Lifeguard, Joel Gitelson.

It was in 2013 that Ben was crowned King at the annual Polar Bear Swim at Cabrillo as this next photo by Joel memorializes... Indeed, it was on Jan. 1st, 2013 that Ben and his wife Theresa were crowned King and Queen.  The Daily Breeze stated that day, as follows:

The Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears celebrated the new year with their annual New Year's Swim Dip at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro on Tuesday. Participants hit the frigid 55-degree water at noon, some going for a quick dip while others braving a longer swim to buoys anchored offshore. Participants weren't stopped by the chilly water temperature. Newly crowned 2013 Cabrillo Beach Polar Bears King and Queen Ben and Theresa Francis presided.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20130101/cabrillo-beach-polar-bears-celebrate-new-years-with-a-cool-dip

Our condolences and sympathies are extended to Ben's family, friends and colleagues.  May he rest in peace.

===

Ben's daughters, Robin Francis and Jill Francis, just announced the memorial service for their dad, as follows:   

Hello loved ones. There will be a ceremony for my Dad this Saturday (August 1st) at 9 AM at Holy Trinity.  Please feel free to share this information with family and friends who would like to join us, thank you.

---

Respectfully submitted,


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

(All photos by & Copyright Joel Gitelson 2013, 2015.  Used here with permission. Thanks very much, Joel!)

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