365 Days Of Laguna Beach Lifeguard Service At Area Beaches

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A new full-time marine safety officer is being added to the troops that guard visitors to the Laguna shores, officials say.

After much evaluation, the city determined that OC Parks and Laguna Beach Marine Safety would increase operations due to more visitors to area beaches. This strategy is similar to Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and county beach lifeguard schedules. The cost is expected to be $586,000 over the next two years, but according to recent rescues, the return is priceless.

There will be 365 days of lifeguard service at area beaches of:

• Crescent Bay
• Shaw's Cove
• Victoria Beach
• Lagunita Beach
• Treasure Island Beach

A new lifeguard tower will also be installed at Mermaid Beach, the home of the Victoria Beach Pirate Tower, on June 12.

Marine Safety Chief Kevin Snow explained that it is a "good thing" that the public will know lifeguards will be on the watch. Recently there has been dangerous and nuisance behavior by visitors, according to the residents of Victoria Beach. More lifeguards will quell that, Snow says.

"It's less likely you'll have some of these behaviors, drinking, smoking, littering and off-leash dogs" if people know lifeguards are on watch, he told the Laguna Beach Independent in a recent interview.

Victoria Beach Tower is a huge draw as a backdrop for Instagram photos. With the varying tides and unsafe conditions, it can also be a big problem for safety officers.

Residents called for the lifeguard tower to be added there "because of people walking on the rocks at unsafe times," according to Michael Roy, spokesman for the Victoria Beach neighborhood told the Independent.

Orange County Parks is modifying ranger schedules and patrol hours to coincide with the peak visitor times at their beaches, including South Laguna Beaches, according to spokesperson Marisa O'Neil.

Residents can expect south Laguna beaches to be patroled until 10 p.m.