The Life & Times of a Lifeguard

On a cold November night just weeks after 9/11 I witnessed the grit that comes with this job. We still to this day call it “BIG WEDNESDAY.” There were waves with 28 ft *backs crashing off the Santa Cruz City beaches. Everyone went out including those who really shouldn’t have. As darkness fell like a stone, in with it came a blinding fog. Then there were calls from shore reporting surfers being “caught on the outside” (out beyond the waves) who couldn’t come in. That’s when the Santa Cruz City Lifeguards and the Santa Cruz County Lifeguards got called out. They went out without any hesitation. In wetsuits and Lightsticks on their “crash helmets” they went to work.

The brand-new Harbor boat set out from there heading up to “Its Beach” and then close in to shore the fog surrounded them. A huge wave then lifted them up and shot them off its edge. Their boat landed hard with a belly flop. The metal post of the pilot’s seat broke upon impact and the Harbor Master Mike sustained back injuries for that impact. A City Lifeguard (I think his name was John) was thrown into something solid in the pilothouse and dislocated his shoulder (he and Alex managed to relocate it...but still). The only one who didn’t sustain injuries was Alex. He took the helm because Mike was in a bad way. It was then he realized all their electronics were out...only the radio was still working. It was so dark that it was impossible at first to see which way they were heading. With no compass they were literally “lost at sea” within the sight of shore...that is if anyone could even see the shore. Then the Firefighters staged on shore knew the harbor boat was out there but likewise couldn’t see them. They could hear them but had no way to direct them anywhere. So they turned on their flood lights and pointed them out over the water.

It was that very faint light that helped Alex to come about and avert an onshore crash. A hard thing to do since the 3 men onboard flying blind and back towards monster waves that they couldn’t see coming. The Santa Cruz Harbor was no safe refuge for them that night now with waves crashing into its mouth like a giant firehose. So, the Coast Guard Cutter came out of Monterey and helped to guide them across the bay and into the Monterey Harbor.

The last Lifeguard to come back in at “Its Beach” on that crazy night was a young woman named Haven. She remained out until she was sure there was no one left outside. And then she came back onto shore with little if any fanfare. She walked out of the sea and simply headed towards the stairs like it was just another day at the office.

That was the closing scene I still have in my mind. These three for one of outrageous collision of giant waves, inky black darkness and a fog you couldn’t cut with a knife. But what also came together were multiple First Responders and Rescuers. Together they did everything they could to save others while nearly being in some cases, lost themselves.

The Lesson learned and then imparted to the public after that Big Wednesday came down to this...You have a choice to go into those giant waves and risk your lives. But we have lives and families too. So, if your desire to get a major rush by tempting fate with your lives just know this. It isn’t worth the forfeiture of our own. In short, stupid is as stupid does, but we don’t get paid enough to be stupid along with you.