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San Clemente marine safety reports 160 swimmer rescues, no drownings this season
Summary
Chief Malott reported lifeguard staffing levels, summer incident counts and upcoming beach events; he credited joint training with OCFA and OCSD and highlighted large‑event staffing needs for July.
Chief Malott, head of marine safety for the City of San Clemente, told the Public Safety Committee on June 24 that the summer season is in full swing and lifeguards have handled thousands of contacts since the last meeting.
Malott reported that weekday staffing is typically 30 lifeguards and weekend staffing about 26. Since the previous meeting, he said the department counted more than 248,000 beach visitors and that lifeguards were involved in over 9,000 incidents. “Lifeguards rescued 160 swimmers in distress, no drownings,” Malott said.
He gave additional recent figures including about 122 medical incidents, nine advanced-life-support calls with Orange County Fire Authority response, roughly 1,752 law-enforcement contacts and 13 encampments reported. The department also trained members of the public in CPR and ran joint trainings with OCFA and Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD).
Upcoming events: Malott noted the department is preparing for July 4 and a series of beach concerts in July and asked partners to support staffing for large events. He described a recent near-miss rescue that was captured on drone footage when a lifeguard jumped from a pier to recover a person who would not accept a life ring.
Why it matters: the statistics indicate intensive summer beach use and frequent lifeguard responses; the department’s continued training with OCFA and OCSD is intended to maintain response capacity during high-demand weekends.
Ending: Committee members thanked marine safety staff for the update and for the department’s training and outreach work ahead of the busiest summer weeks.
