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| Dramatic Rescue at New Bolsa Wetlands Tidal Inlet Channel Steve Hicks Veteran lifeguard Jerry Merayo, working tower 16, watched three park visitors enter the water near the new Tidal Inlet Channel for the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. With the lateral current moving swiftly down coast, Merayo acted swiftly and left his tower to rescue the victims. By the time Merayo got to the victims, they were struggling in the mouth of the channel and heading toward the jagged rocks. The oblivious victims, an adult and two juveniles, were clinging to a surfboard and two body boards. Merayo was able to keep the victims in a stationary position by swimming them up coast. Unit 44 arrived and guards Jeff Kennedy and Dale Adama quickly entered the water to assist Merayo. Unit 45 guards, Brett Boone and Steven Hicks arrived and ran out to the end of the rock jetty to see what was happening. As it appeared that the guards in the water |
| were making progress, Hicks and Boone realized that Adama’s waves at the camera were not a pose but were waves for assistance. Boone dashed down from the rocks, cutting his feet on the way, and swam out to assist. Relief guard Tyler Seislove arrived on scene and entered the water. Hicks could tell that the guards were not making any progress swimming the victims up coast as the current was too powerful. Hicks signaled the guards to start swimming the victims out to sea and not up coast. Swimming the victims out to sea proved successful as Adama, Kennedy, and Seislove were able to make progress around the jetty on the outside. Boone and Merayo were having difficulty pulling |
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| their victim out and were getting dangerously close to the rocks. Hicks yelled at Merayo and told him to swim down coast away from the rocks. Merayo squealed back and suggested swimming the victim inside the channel. Hicks agreed with Merayo's clever request to swim the victims inside of the channel. Boone and Merayo were then able to swim the victim to an area inside the channel where the current was less chaotic. The victim was swum approximately 25 yards inside the channel and to the side of a rock. The victim was removed from the water via a rock exit. The rescue was a learning experience in many ways. Great job to all guards involved and excellent job to Jerry Merayo. |
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