The high surf along Southland beaches claimed a life today, a lifeguard said.
A body surfer slammed into rocks by waves of 15-20 feet at the Newport Beach jetty known as The Wedge died despite being pulled from the water by lifeguards who performed CPR, said Newport Beach lifeguard Battalion Chief Jim Turner.
The man was body surfing at 12:24 p.m., when the surf was 15-20 feet high, and a wave carried him onto some rocks, Turner said.
Lifeguards initially had trouble reaching the man, but eventually they pulled him aboard a rescue boat, where they performed CPR and chest compressions.
The man was pronounced dead at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Turner said.
“There was a large set of waves before they could get him on the boat,” Turner said.
Most of the body surfers in the water are experts, but even they can land in trouble, Turner said.
Witness Tom Hoover said the man was caught by a big wave.
“He started going out and a big set came in and he got caught in the big set and before you knew it he was on the rocks,” Hoover told KCAL9.
“And the next thing you know, you couldn't see his head,” Hoover said. “Two more sets came in. The lifeguards reacted promptly. But you couldn't see him, but he was washed up on the rocks maybe with two or three good solid waves.”
Turner said there was another injury-related rescue earlier today at West Newport Beach, but that person was not as severely injured.
The waves, which are some of the biggest in years, are a result of a south-southwest swell originating in the central South Pacific near Tahiti. They are especially big during high tides, and have been attracting thousands of beachgoers who are also escaping a Southland heat wave.
South-facing beaches especially are being hit by surf of 4 to 7 feet, with sets near 10 feet.
Body surfers have been coming from as far as Hawaii to challenge the waves at The Wedge, where waves twice that high have been seen.
Anyone who is not an experienced surfer was cautioned to stay out of the ocean, where there are also strong rip currents and undertows.
According to the National Weather Service, the swell will start shrinking Sunday and diminish rapidly early next week,
