Heat Sends Angelenos to the Beach
Updated 6:31 AM PST, Fri, Jul 31, 2009
About a half-million people flocked to Los Angeles County beaches on Saturday beat the inland heat, lifeguards said Saturday.
County lifeguard Capt. Adam Uehara said slightly more than 100,000 people were dotting Zuma Beach in Malibu, where the water was about 62 degrees and an air in the mid 70s.
"It's hot today and they'll probably stay out until 6 or 7 p.m.," Uehara said. "We've had a bunch of rescues -- over 20, since 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m."
Highs in the upper 90s and 100s are forecast for valley areas again Sunday.
At Cabrillo Beach, what began as a slow morning Saturday picked up, and lifeguards there estimated the crowd at 5,000, Capt. Maria Bird said.
"We had one standard rescue and two boat distresses," Bird said. "Anyone who comes out here should swim by open lifeguard station. If they're not sharp swimmers, stay close to the shore."
The water at Cabrillo Beach was 61 degrees, and the air 70 degrees at about 2 p.m.
A Los Angeles police officer at the Venice Beach substation said the boardwalk was busy, but there was nothing out of the ordinary for a weekend.
In Santa Monica, county lifeguard Kevin Curtis said "it's an absolutely great beach day."
The water was 68 degrees, and the air was 75 degrees, he said.
"It's been pretty quiet so far," Curtis said. "A majority of the calls have been a couple of rescues and a boat distress."
About 100,000 people are on Santa Monica and Venice beaches, he said.
"Always swim and surf near an open lifeguard station," he said. "Make sure you drink plenty of water and sunscreen."
No serious injuries were reported in Los Angeles County. In Orange County, a body surfer who apparently drowned at Newport Beach Thursday was identified as 44-year-old Paul Holden of Costa Mesa.
Copyright City News Service
First Published: Jul 11, 2009 4:05 PM PST
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