One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Why L.A. County Lifeguards Had To Rescue More People Than Ever This Year
Venice lifeguard tower (Photo by Eric Lassiter via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
L.A. County lifeguards have been so busy that they've already rescued 14,331 people from the start of this year to Nov. 3, and it has to do with the dangerous combination of warm weather and turbulent waters in SoCal.
Our last largest record set for ocean rescues was in 1997 with 14,096 rescues. Normally, we average about 9,670 rescues a year.
Acting Chief Lifeguard Steve Moseley told the L.A. Times that the high temperatures throughout the year have drawn more Angelenos than usual to the beaches—about 70.5 million, which is about 15 million more than the average figures. And at the same time, the ocean waters have been unusually dangerous due to stronger rip currents, which are caused by storms along the Pacific Ocean eroding the beaches.
There was also the rare lightning strikes over the summer that hit the sand and water at Venice Beach, killing one 20-year-old USC student and injuring a dozen more.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
