Neighborhood Beach Watch

Logo Courtesy of the City of San Clemente

The City of San Clemente is starting Neighborhood Beach Watch, a free training program that teaches the public what to do if they see someone in distress at the beach. The first meeting is at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18 in the San Clemente Community Center. 

The program is the idea of Bill Humphreys, Chief of San Clemente Marine Safety as a way to teach the public how to report people in distress and help them before they drown.

According to the United States Lifesaving Association, the chance that a person will drown at the beach with lifeguards on duty is 1 in 18 million. What about when lifeguards aren't on duty?  

Graphic by Wordle.net

Lifeguards recommend to always swim near an open lifeguard tower but realize that it's not always possible. Even when it is possible, people still swim in areas that are difficult to see and respond to. Last year 102 people died from drowning while swimming in unguarded waters. Some of these people drowned while trying to rescue others, only adding to the problem.

The Neighborhood Beach Watch program will focus on what the public can do to help people that are in trouble like giving them a floatation device;  surf board, body board or a life ring from the pier. It will also teach people how to approach a victim in the water if they insist on rescuing the person.

The USLA does not fully support the program because they don't want to encourage the general public to try to rescue victims on there own, Humphreys said. 

"I don't support people attempting rescues on their own either, but if they are going to do it I want them to know how to do it safely," Humphreys said. 

David McErlean, a San Clemente Lifeguard, rescues
a body boarder next to the pier while off duty.
Photo by Joe Matulis

The number one thing the public can do is call for help. Even if you do perform a rescue on your own, make sure that help is on the way first. Not even lifeguards go on rescues without calling for backup. 

This is the first Neighborhood Beach Watch Program in the United States. To track the progress of the program, there will be a website that people can report what rescues they have done or other beach activities they have reported.