Braving the cold to save lives

Stefanie Frith

By Stefanie Frith

NEWPORT BEACH -- Freezing.

Charlie Fisher, 18, said this was the only way to describe the

55-degree water that he and 77 other hopeful lifeguards tried out in

Sunday morning off Newport Beach Pier.

“It was a lot colder than I expected,” said the Orange resident, who

came in first at the tryouts. “But I have been wanting to do this for a

long time. But, whew, it was cold out there.”

The Newport Beach lifeguard tryouts take place each year and

typically, about 80 people attend, Newport Beach Fire Department Lt. John

Blauer said. This year 97 registered, with 78 showing up for the tryouts,

which consisted of a 1,000-meter ocean swim and a 1,000-meter

run-swim-run.

Out of the 78, forty-three were chosen to be invited to take the

lifeguard training class. After the training class, about 10 will be

hired at the start of the summer, with about 15 more being hired by the

middle of August, Blauer said. Making the tryouts does not guarantee a

position with the department.

“Some people drop out even in the tryouts because it’s enough for them

to reassess their abilities,” Blauer said. “It’s tough out there. The

water is cold and there are rocks underneath. It’s also a big commitment,

but the working conditions are pretty good.”

Heather Murphy, 18, of Costa Mesa, said the working conditions made

her want to work as a Newport Beach lifeguard. Murphy, however, did not

make the final cut.

“I love the beach, love the water,” Murphy said through chattering

teeth right after the swim test. “These tryouts are really competitive

though, and the water was freezing.”

James Howarth, a 17-year-old from Huntington Beach, said he can vouch

for the fierceness of the competition.

“When I was out there doing the run-swim-run, and I was out in the

water, I was punched in the face,” Howarth, who came in fifth overall,

said. “I was going around a buoy and this fist came out of nowhere. But

hey, you just have to keep going.”

The way to avoid situations like the one Howarth got himself into is

to stay outside of the pack. At least that’s what Katie Adnoff, a

16-year-old from Newport Beach, said.

“I could have done a lot better, but that water was so cold,” said

Adnoff, who came in 57th overall. “But at least I wasn’t caught in the

pack. You just have to stay outside of it, even though they say you

should stay close by the buoy. That way, you do end up passing people.”

Adnoff also said that when she first jumped in the water to make the

first swim, she wasn’t sure she was going to make it through the waves.

“I couldn’t breathe because it was so cold. When you jump into water

like that, you just get the wind knocked out of you,” she said, as she

huddled with friends under a patio heater outside of the lifeguard

station.

Last year at the tryouts, the waters were chilly and it was raining,

lifeguard Jimmy Reideler of Lake Forest said.

“When I tried out last year, I made it, but the waters were so cold

you couldn’t breathe, so I know what these guys are going through,” the

19-year-old said, pointing at the hopefuls sprinting down the beach

during the run-swim-run. “And it’s so competitive. There’s a lot of

elbows and grabbing. It’s horrible. But it’s a great job. I hope to be

here for a while.”

Nathan Weiner, a 15-year-old from Newport Beach who came in fourth

overall, agreed that the water could have been warmer, but said he just

kept kicking to stay warm. He also said he can’t wait to be a lifeguard,

and for one reason only.

“Oh yeah, I am going to be picking up phone numbers all day long,”

Weiner said.