WHEN YOU HEAR THE SIRENS COMING
Michael S. Bartlett, Huntington Beach, CA
It had been raining in Southern California for most of the winter, breaking 100-year-old rainfall records. On March 3, 2005, was the first sunny day we’ve had and I thought the “Black Cloud” curse was finally gone. I was wrong.
At 3 pm, I had finished my last patrol in the bluff area before heading back to Headquarters to service my vehicle prior to going off-duty when I spotted several swimmers splashing just outside the shore break near Tower #14 (about a mile north of the pier). The side current was
pulling them south away from a sandbar and into a hole, feeding a large rip current. They were clearly in trouble trying to swim back to shore and making little if any progress. I immediately radioed for urgent back up for what appeared to be five swimmers and responded. I wanted to take the
paddleboard but my instincts told me
to go with the buoy and fins. With the shore break and glare, I wasn’t sure if it there was four or five swimmers in distress and I certainly didn’t have time to count. As I swam through the shore break, I could not see the victims due to the surf, but heard their cries for help. As I entered the mid-channel, I approached victim #1 who was yelling for help and swimming towards me. I observed three others further out, spaced 10-20 yards apart, and in dire need of floatation. The two furthest out were exhausted, quiet and motionless. With 19 seasons as a lifeguard (14 of those as a permanent) under my belt, I had rescued many during my career but never before have I had a feeling of impeding doom like this. I signaled Code 3 (emergency) by waving my can buoy towards Tower Zero on the pier nearly a mile away. I
knew that MSO Eric Ching stationed in Tower Zero
would use the high-powered binoculars (Rhino Binos)
mounted on a tripod for a closer look and that he would
expedite the back up and send more guards.
I told victim #1 to keeping swimming toward shore
and that help was coming. He wanted to take the buoy for floatation but I refused. I told him that his friends needed it more than he did. He had a chance of making it to shore and he was clearly a better swimmer than the other three. Lifeguard training dictates that you never
leave a swimmer behind and that you “herd” your victims together like a flock of sheep and wait for back up. Would he make it to shore safely, I thought. Should I have buoyed him first and attempted to herd them all together per my training? I swam out to victim #2 who was frantic and also yelling for help. I buoyed him and assured him he was okay. I needed him to calm down, as I would soon be using him to help the others. I told him to hold on tight and we needed to help his friends. I swam him out to victim #3 who was exhausted and barely moving. I
observed him go under several times while raising his head to breath from his nose. When I got to him, I pulled him up by his arm and placed the buoy to his chest. I advised victim #2 to help hold him to the buoy as he had little strength. He began coughing and dry heaving as he possibly inhaled water. At this time, victim #4 was another 15-20 yards further out. He was slipping below the surface and near motionless. I pulled the group out to him but he slipped under when a wave hit him. I swam further to where he was. I looked down and saw his hair and his hand. I
grabbed him by his fingers and pulled him back to the surface. He gasped for air and was semi-conscious, but unresponsive. A set wave came through and I eggbeater kicked while holding the two exhausted swimmers (one on each arm) to keep them afloat. The rip current was pulling us further out towards the outside break. There wasn’t anyone around to help, not a surfer insight. How long could I physically hold them in this position, I thought. I might soon be fighting for my own life. I thought about my family, my wife and my 9-month old daughter. Where is my back up, I thought? I couldn’t see it but I knew it was coming. I heard it in the distance; multiple sirens that became louder and louder. I smiled with confidence and told the victims, “Hear that? We’re doing great! Help is on the way?” If you have ever been in a life-threatening situation like this, you have no idea the feeling you get inside when you hear the sirens coming! MSO Matt Norton is my hero! With a shift change in transition at Headquarters, Norton probably had exceeded our speed limit protocols as primary back up. He arrived on scene and responded with a rescue paddleboard. We positioned the two exhausted swimmers perpendicular across the belly of the board to keep them above the water, as they couldn’t hold on. I maintained my grip on each of the two most critical. Norton and I tried to kick in to shore but made little progress.
MSO Kai Weisser had arrived on scene as additional back up and was questioning victim #1 who had made it to shore on his own. After Weisser confirmed there were only four swimmers to our dispatcher, he then responded on another paddleboard to assist us. Once we arrived on shore, MSO Claude Panis assisted us in evaluating the patients and documentation. The three victims
were exhausted and two lied down in the sand to recover. Two victims required oxygen and blankets for hypothermia. Paramedics arrived on scene and further evaluated the group. The two most critical were transported to the hospital to receive treatment for near drowning, and were later released with a full recovery. We were all lucky that day! I think incidents like this
remind us just how important it is that we as open-water safety professionals stay on top of our game. We train regularly to practice our skills and abilities in all areas of our expertise. We re-certify every year to maintain our proficiencies in and out of the water. We maintain our physical fitness so that we are ready when the day comes. We staff the beach to an adequate
level to safeguard the public. We patrol with vigilance to educate and inform the public of the dangers. We respond to the scene to save someone you don’t even know. And, we respond to the scene as back up to save a fellow rescuer who willingly put them in harms way so that others may live. The value of your back up can be as important as the value of your primary patrol.
If you happened onto this site or were reffered here please send me your email address so I can add you to the Cal Zeta database. I was told that Hing has made some visits here so if you are reading this please send me your email address to achase67@gmail.com.
