For Laguna Beach, the unofficial end of summer is arriving with another reminder that the Pacific has been anything but quiet this season.
A powerful, hurricane-generated swell is expected to hammer Southern California through Labor Day weekend, with Laguna Beach officials warning of surf reaching 10 feet and potentially dangerous conditions along the city’s famously rugged coastline.
“Surf as big as 10 feet is expected, starting on Saturday and going all the way through Monday,” Laguna Beach Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond said. “You can expect large waves in an incredibly hazardous ocean during this swell event.” (See the video here and below).
The warning carries extra weight after a summer of unusually powerful southern swells, erosion, and tragedy in Laguna.
On June 9, 5-year-old Amada Mia Brown was swept into the ocean near Treasure Island Beach when powerful surf pulled her, her mother and her brother from the shoreline. Bystanders rescued the mother and boy, but Amada disappeared. After an extensive multi-agency search, her body was recovered two days later near Christmas Cove.
Then, on August 3, 24-year-old Moustafa Gulzarzada of Fontana went missing while swimming with a friend at Crescent Bay. Marine Safety divers located him roughly 45 minutes after the initial emergency call, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Related: Bodysurfer Dies at Laguna Beach’s Crescent Bay
On August 15th, a mother and daughter were walking along the shore at Aliso Beach, when they were swept away by a wave. The 48-year-old mother had to be airlifted from the scene.
Just days later, on August 26, 41-year-old Laguna Beach resident Justin Anand Shahani died after being pulled unconscious from the water at South Crescent Bay. Lifeguards performed CPR after finding him in cardiac arrest, but he did not survive.
Meanwhile, the repeated swells have physically reshaped the coastline. Aliso Beach has suffered significant sand loss, with recent wave activity pushing sand and water into the west parking lot and undermining portions of the area.
Now another swell is bearing down.
For surfers, that can mean opportunity. For everyone else, Laguna officials are delivering a simpler message: respect the ocean, know your limits, and take the warnings seriously.
As the Laguna Beach Lifeguards reminded:
“Stay safe everyone.”
Related: Tragic Drowning at Crescent Bay: 24-Year-Old Swimmer Dies in Laguna Beach
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