The moments on the sand and in the sea pay tribute to Ben Carlson, a remembrance for the lost lifeguard. But Thursday, July 6, was also a reminder of his legacy to inspire the next generation of guards.
Ben Carlson Day is an annual tradition in Newport Beach following the lifeguard’s death nine years ago as he rescued a swimmer in distress during a big swell that hit on a busy Fourth of July holiday weekend. The swimmer made it, but Carlson died.
“It’s very uplifting and that’s how we want to remember Ben and celebrate his life, what he did for our department and for lifesaving,” Newport Beach Lifeguard Chief Brian O’Rourke said.
Carlson was the first and only Newport Beach Lifeguard to die in the line of duty since the department formed in 1923.
His death was a somber, yet pivotal moment in the city’s lifeguarding history, one that sent waves of shock through the tight-knit coastal community as well as lifeguard departments across the country.
Following his death, family and friends set up the Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to drowning prevention and education.
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“It’s very important to keep his legacy going, not only for what he did, but what he stood for. He was someone who believed in hard work and supporting the lifeguard team here and really represented an image of success by being mentally tough and working hard,” O’Rourke said. “He was a role model.”
The group hosts an annual conference dedicated to saving lives and each year selects scholarship recipients that mirror Carlson’s qualities of outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, service to society and sense of independence.
This year’s recipients include Newport Beach’s Chester “Chet” Clark, a Cal State Fullerton student studying communications, Valeria Gamez Hernandez, from Long Beach, who is earning a computer science and engineering degree from USC, and Samantha Tadder, of Virginia Beach, who is studying biology and pre-med at Stanford University.
On Thursday, young guards heard a presentation from Ben Carlson Foundation board member Spencer Pirdy, who shared stories about the junior lifeguard instructor and 15-year veteran, who was just 32 when he died.
Some of the junior guards did a run-swim-run event, one of Carlson’s favorites, to mark the day. And, lifeguard boats paraded down the coast in front of the junior lifeguards, flashing sirens to the cheer of the crowd.
In the afternoon, the Carlson family and foundation provided lunch to all guards on duty from Sessions West Coast Deli, which this year ran a promotion to “buy a lifeguard lunch,” bringing meals to not just Newport Beach guards but also State Parks lifeguards in Huntington Beach and Crystal Cove.
At 5:15 p.m. a moment of remembrance was planned at Tower 17, the area and time where Carlson died during the ocean rescue.
Carlson was also a big-wave surfer, a waterman with years of ocean experience who embraced the lifestyle of being around the ocean, someone who “really believed in what lifeguards stood for and wanted to be the best he could be,” O’Rourke said.
As part of the Newport Beach Lifeguard Department’s centennial celebration, the city will be hosting an event on Aug. 9 that will have a presentation from the Newport Beach Historical Society and a showing of the film “Part of Water,” a documentary about Carlson’s life.
This past weekend, when big crowds and big waves showed up for the holiday, was a reminder of the role lifeguards play in keeping people safe at the beach.
On July 4, lifeguards conducted 1,407 preventative actions and 146 rescues, officials said, mostly in the afternoon hours as waves started to grow.
Big surf in the 4- to 6-foot range is expected to continue into the weekend, meaning the department will be staffing up as rip currents and strong surf pose hazards to beachgoers.
“It’s continuing,” O’Rourke said. “There’s some pretty solid energy in the water.”
The guards will spend long days in the sun, racing to save people from rip currents and scanning the sea for potential dangers that loom, he said.
“We have an amazing team,” he said. “It’s very demanding. We’re really proud of our staff, every year.”