Two swimmers were swept away from shore by dangerous rip currents near the Venice Pier on Saturday.
Adam Rose, a witness, told CBS News that the currents were some of the “worst rips” he’d ever seen.
“I mean, it puts the gnarly in the idea of a gnarly rip current,” Rose told the station.
He also captured both of the rescues on camera and expressed relief to CBS News. The two swimmers were rescued by two lifeguards from the Los Angeles County Fire Department who encountered the strong waves.
One of the lifeguards Pono Barnes watched Rose’s video and said the swimmer remained calm, which is exactly what lifeguards want people to do.
“That was an awesome display of that beach patron or that beachgoer staying calm,” Barnes told CBS News.
Overall, it was a busy weekend for lifeguards, with ocean rescues reaching into the thousands from Friday through Sunday. Barnes told the station that the numbers aren’t surprising considering the conditions.
“We have that human element paired with some significant swell in the water,” he said. “We have some hazardous conditions and rip currents are stronger and intensified by that swell.”
Lifeguards are also urging beachgoers not to rush into the water if they see someone struggling, warning that doing so could turn them into a second victim.
If you’re caught in a rip current, lifeguards also advise that swimmers don’t try to swim straight back to shore.
Instead, they recommend to stay calm, float if you can, and swim parallel to the shoreline until you’re out of the current before heading back to the beach.
