From the early days of the 20th century, when lifeguard legend Cap Watkins rode a horse to make ocean rescues, to present-day crew members who are aided by Baywatch rescue boats, the history of the Santa Monica Lifeguards is one of the most colorful in ocean lifesaving. Under these guards careful gaze, Pres. John F. Kennedy swam along the Santa Monica shoreline, Charlie Chaplin collected seashells, and surfing icons Duke Khanamoku and Miki Dora took to the waves. From historic legends to millions of yearly beachgoers, Santa Monicas lifeguards have provided decades of ocean-lifesaving services. Their work has helped to make Santa Monica Beach the world-renowned destination it is today.
Thousands of men, women, and children owe their lives to the Los Angeles County Lifeguards. Made famous by the television show Baywatch, these lifeguards patrol 72 miles of coastline extending from Zuma Beach to the Los Angeles Harbor. Working on some of the world's most scenic and active beaches, Los Angeles County lifeguards protect the safety and lives of more than 50 million visitors each year. For nearly a century they have braved hazardous weather and surf conditions to rescue drowning swimmers, sinking vessels, and downed aircraft in the ocean. As the Lifeguard Operations Unit of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, they make more than 10,000 ocean rescues a year.
Stories from Sea Level is a hand-picked assemblage of truly exceptional ocean-related events which occurred within the 50-year span between 1969 and 2019. The lifeguards featured in these stories work for various agencies between San Diego and the Sonoma Coast. Of note, the lifeguards themselves provided the author with the details and specifics necessary to accurately immortalize their remarkable and dramatic events. This collection of their accounts are offered by the author as a sincere homage to all lifeguards (past, present, and future) who diligently patrol the California coastline ensuring the safety of the general public. Ten of these stories capture the details of daring rescues in which the lifeguards' performances were so exceptional that they personified the essence of valor. All ten of these events (as indicated in their accounts) earned the lifeguards prestigious Medal of Valor honors from the United States Lifeguard Association and/or the Governor of California. This award serves as formal recognition and acknowledgement of the highest level of courage and bravery in our profession. Balancing the gallantry and heroics, other stories serve to illuminate the whimsical nature of our profession and the comical shenanigans involved in our interactions with the public. They seem to exemplify the adage that "truth is stranger than fiction." Collectively, these accounts provide the reader with insight and appreciation for the diverse range of duties, responsibilities and joys that lifeguards encounter in the course of performing their duties on the iconic beaches of California. They expose the common bonds that lifeguards from all agencies share and hopefully provide the lay public with an appreciation for the unique skills and incomparable worth of our ocean warriors. Praise for Stories from Sea Level The tales in Ed Vodrazka's riveting book Stories from Sea Level chronicle the entire range of experiences confronted in the course of working as an Ocean Lifeguard-the tragedies will bring tears to your eyes, the rescues will have you on the edge of your seat, the lighthearted stories will capture your heart and make you laugh. This amazing book recounts Medal of Valor rescues, unleashes some of lifeguarding's most unique and compelling characters, documents the heartbreaking fatalities, the friendships and the ironies, the twists of fate and the remarkable resolve of men and women performing extraordinary rescues in a perilous sea. Only Ed Vodrazka could have written this book, for the simple reason he is one of the best-known practitioners of the lifesaving discipline in California. He is one of the most affable, curious and artfully compelling people you'll ever meet. Anyone who has been a lifeguard in Southern California for the last 20 years either knows him or has heard of him. He worked for seven years on the notoriously dangerous North Coast of Sonoma County. His service on the beaches of California spans six decades. He has worked as a field lifesaver and a Lifeguard Training Instructor for California State Parks and Los Angeles County, and has taught EMT and First Responder courses for the City of San Diego Lifeguards. He is a highly coveted public speaker and EMT Instructor. There is no document that represents the full spectrum of the camaraderie, emotion and challenges confronted every day by Ocean Lifeguards more effectively than Stories from Sea Level. This book is mandatory reading for anyone who has an interest in the ocean and the people who make their living at its doorstep. Stories from Sea Level is a book worthy of spending time with. Mike Brousard, Lifeguard Chief Huntington State Beach San Clemente State Beach
Ocean Lifeguards make tens of thousands of rescues every year on the fabled, crowded beaches of Southern California. "Warm Winds and Following Seas: Reflections of a Lifeguard in Paradise" tells their stories, recounts their challenges and rescues, and illustrates the pressures of a misunderstood, high profile and physically difficult profession. From the rite of passage of Lifeguard Training, to the grit and grind of surf rescues and piloting rescue boats in big waves, to life-threatening saves in the icy waters of Northern California, this journey into the world of Ocean Lifeguards offers a fresh perspective on open water lifesaving and these unsung heroes of the coastline.
Lifeguards of San Diego County traces the origins of the nine professional lifeguard agencies that serve the public swimming, diving, and boating along the shorelines of San Diego County. Sporadic lifeguard service existed as early as 1906, but on a single day in 1918, thirteen people drowned at Ocean Beach. The drownings focused community and government attention on the need for consistent lifeguard services along San Diego County's beaches. Today there are more than 600 lifeguards from city and state agencies that serve San Diegans throughout the county. Here for the first time, the origins, experiences, and stories of these dedicated and most often heroic people are woven together into one volume.
Dirty Water is the riveting story of how Howard Bennett, a Los Angeles schoolteacher with a gift for outrageous rhetoric, fought pollution in Santa Monica Bay--and won. The story begins in 1985, when many scientists considered the bay to be one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. The insecticide DDT covered portions of the sea floor. Los Angeles discharged partially treated sewage into its waters. Lifeguards came down with mysterious illnesses. And Howard Bennett happily swam in it every morning. By accident, Bennett learned that Los Angeles had applied for a waiver from the Clean Water Act to continue discharging sewage into the bay. Incensed that he had been swimming in dirty water, Bennett organized oddball coalition to orchestrate stunts such as wrapping brown ribbon around LA's city hall and issuing Dirty Toilet Awards to chastise the city's administration. This is the fast-paced story of how this unusual cast of characters created an environmental movement in Los Angeles that continues to this day with the nationally recognized Heal the Bay. Character-driven, compelling, and uplifting, Dirty Water tells how even the most polluted water can be cleaned up-by ordinary people.
Los Angeles magazine is a regional magazine of national stature. Our combination of award-winning feature writing, investigative reporting, service journalism, and design covers the people, lifestyle, culture, entertainment, fashion, art and architecture, and news that define Southern California. Started in the spring of 1961, Los Angeles magazine has been addressing the needs and interests of our region for 48 years. The magazine continues to be the definitive resource for an affluent population that is intensely interested in a lifestyle that is uniquely Southern Californian.
"LEGENDARY SURFERS Volume 3: 1930s" details the surf world of the 1930s, including California, Florida, Hawaii, Australia and Britain. This is not a coffee table book. It is specifically written for surfers who want to know the details of the heritage we are blessed to share, as told by those who lived it.
As the number of community pools and waterparks grows nationwide, participation in aquatic activities is also growing. Lifeguards must receive proper and effective training, and maintain their skills to ensure their ability to work effective with others as a part of a lifeguard team. This manual will supplement your in-service training to keep your knowledge and skills sharp.
