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Dana Point NewsFROM PAGE 1............RIPFROM PAGE 1the water and be safe.Trager cautioned them about finger rip currents which can be tricky to nav i-gate. Finger rip currents form when water washingonto the beach consolidates into low-lying contours of the beach and withdraws back out to sea with great force. Children are at risk of being snatched from shore by rip currents when water that may be at foot level instantly swells to waist -high.Rip currents are something Trager and every life-guard along the Southern California coastline worries about. The United States Lifesaving Association says that more than 82 percent of rescues are caused by rip current s. Moving at speedsof up to 8 feet per second,rip currents make it impossible for those without knowledge to make it out. Panicked swimmers often try to counter a rip current hv swimming straight backtI*»• urn1PAUL RODRIGUEZ, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERto shore Putting them- ^ Laquna Beach ,ifequard warns beach visitors to be carefui of rip currents.selves at risk of drowningbecause of fatigue.While shark sightings along beaches create panicamong most beachgoers, lifeguards say rip currentsare more deadly. In 2015,three people were killed by rip currents in Southern California, one in Orange County. Fifty-six people died in rip currents nationally that vear.Trager, who was recently recognized for data-gather-ing work by the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, keeps track of ocean conditions at Main Beach, one of the busiest beaches in OrangeCounty.For the last year he and others at Laguna Beach’s Marine Safet\ Department have recorded daily data for an ongoing research program to help predict dangerous ocean conditions. such as rip currents,days in advance.The program called the United States Lifesaving Assoc at ion National Weather Service Sea Grant kip Current Observing Project, started in 200 in Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. There are now eight beaches participating inSouthern California. In Orange County, lifeguards in Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and San Clemente also participate, said Stephen Harrison, a scientistwith NOAA’s NationalWeather Service.The information is beingfor a programscientists hope will helpHow to riderip currentRip currents are created when waves break with varying strengths in different locations, causing the water to move in a circle and then out to sea in a narrow, fast-moving current. A common mistake by swimmers in a rip current is trying to swimstraight to shore. Here is a way to escape:©Check currents and wave sets beforegoing out or ask lifeguards about conditions Never swim aioneDon’t panic and don't waste your strength trying to swim against the current Tread water and let the current move you seawardjC|\0nce the current weakens - normally no more than 100 yards from shore swim parallel to the beach.Swim toward the shore, riding incoming waves if possibleIf you cannot reach shore, draw attention to yourself. Face the shore, wave yourarms and call for help.L_.. ;A Laguna Beach lifeguard encourages a little boy to stay closer to the shore because of rip currents.LAGUNA BEACH MARINE SAFETY DEPARTMENT RESCUES2011: Total rescues 2,446; 1,308 rip, 1,067 surfbeaches in South Laguna, Dana Point and Capistrano Beach, said NOAA’s program is a great way to get information spread to themasses.Last vear OC LifeguardsWhat do lifeguard flags mean?2012: Total rescues 2,835; 1*115 riP current res*cues m their coverage area. In the last Five years, they made 7,520 rip current rescues. Salt Creek Beach has powerful rip currents and1,550 rip, 1,157 surf 2013: Total rescues 2,653; 1,443 rip, 1,049 surf 2014: Total rescues 4,103; 2,326 rip, 1,723 surf2015: Total rescues 5,560; long-shore currents.No surfboards, no watercraftSource National Weather ServiceHigh hazard, experts onlyMedium hazard, use cautionGreenLow hazard, general useSTAFF GRAPHIC3,412 rip, 2,066 surfpeak rescue times and ocean and air temperatures. He also notes how-wide the surf zone is and where the waves break.“We see rip currents even- time there is a swrell,” he'•w‘.said. “The more swell, thetion to issue surf forecasts, said. “In days past, this predict surf height and al- wasn’t talked about. Now, ert for possible rip current risk.• «more rip activity we see.What’s difficult for Trager and other lifeguards is when the ocean doesn’twith forecasting rip cur- look dangerous.“Every day we get aw hole group of people that haven’t heart! the mes-fents. That program started at the National Weather Service in Morehead City,N.C.k. Trager, a lifeguardyears, records data on cate- help us with the masses.’’Trager’s data and thatfrom other“Getting all this information, we can Find out moreto predict rip currents in atwo- to four-day range,” NOAA’s Harrison said. “The reports all get sent to our forecasters. If surf is high, it clues us in there is an issue there at the beach. Through daily rip current reports, forecasters can better predict risks andgories like surf height, surl direction, rip currents, long-shore currents, watersage,” Trager said. “We’re help issue a beach hazardI trying to get information to statement. The goal is topredict rip currents three to four da vs in advance.more and more are recognizing it’s a deadly ocean phenomenon that causes deaths nationally.In Huntington Beach during the First weekend of the U.S. Open of Surfinglast month, lifeguards rescued nearly 200 people from the surf in a four-hour period along a quart er-mile of shoreline south of Huntington Beach pier.“People were getting into rip currents and trapped in holes from an uneven ocean bottom,” said Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt.Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Claude Panis also tracks daily ocean conditions and provides datafor NOAA.Anytime you apply data and use it to vour advan“In South Laguna, finger rips form suddenly and can pull people off dry sand during high surf, Young said.Back in Laguna Beach, Michelle Scot! and her sons were at Treasure Island Beach vacationing from Phoenix. Everett Scott, 9tage, we can give better di- and his brother Gavin, 11. rection,” Panis said. “Thatt ................ “Not only does this help Eric Dieterman. “We had aanaivzed and recorded by with rip current forecasts couple ol mass rescues withattendance, rescue activity, scientists at the National but public awareness about five or six people needmg finethe number of rip rescues Weather Service Forecast the danger and safety needs help at one time. guaiin the previous 24 hours, Office who use the informa- of rip currents,” Harrison__makes our job easier. It can help identify locations where rips can be more dangerous. Right now, it’s day to day. We make predictions on where w;e think they will occur,” Panis said.“Pm hoping years downthe line, it will help with more accurate predictions,” he said. “Our mission is to reach people before thev come down to the*beach. It may help save a life.”Jason Young, chief of Ma-for OC Life-had already been repeatedly wrarned bv their father *• *not to go into the oceanbeyond their waists.*“My husband got sucked out by a rip current in Maui and had to be rescued.” Michelle Scott said. “It scared him, that’s why he gets pa ranoid about our kids. He knows he isn’t a good swim mer and couldn’t save them. He keeps telling them to stay at waist level.”overseesCONTACT THE WRITER:eritchieocreqister.com or on Twitter:lt;IMagunaini
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Santa Ana Aliso Viejo News
Santa Ana, California, US
Thu, Aug 04, 2016
Page 48
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Clipped by
Mike M.
USA 16 Apr 2022
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