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Seal Beach honors Naval Weapons Station public affairs officer and junior lifeguards after rescue
Summary
The council recognized Greg Smith, public affairs officer at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, on his retirement and awarded junior lifeguards John Whitlock and Lincoln Hapold for saving an instructor; the injured instructor, Isaiah Osorio, appeared in video remarks from rehabilitation.
Seal Beach ' At its June 8 meeting the Seal Beach City Council honored Greg Smith, public affairs officer for Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, for more than three decades of federal service and decades of community liaison work, then recognized two junior lifeguards whose actions helped save an instructor.
Mayor presented Smith with a plaque and certificates from local elected offices and thanked him for "dedication, professionalism, and integrity." Smith, who will retire at the end of the month, told the council: "At the end of the day, what it's all about is relationships. That's what kind of public affairs does... The relationships are what I'm absolutely gonna miss when I leave."
Marine safety staff then screened a video and presented awards to junior lifeguards John Whitlock and Lincoln Hapold for their rescue of instructor Isaiah Osorio, who suffered a life'altering cervical injury while on duty. Osorio addressed the room via video from Craig Hospital, saying he "wouldn't have gotten here without John Whitlock and Lincoln Hapold's heroic actions."
The council and community praised the lifeguard program and the rescue response as an example of youth training and composure under pressure. Staff said the awards included local and state recognition and a perpetual junior-lifeguard trophy the city will display.
