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Nearly 2,000 ocean rescues occur as dangerous surf slams popular beaches this summer
By Andrea Margolis
Published August 01, 2026
A 10-year-old boy was standing in ankle-deep water at a California beach recently when he lost his footing and was pulled into the ocean by powerful surf.
Ryder Williams, a 16-year-old California State Parks lifeguard, radioed for help and raced into the water at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz during the July 25 emergency, Fox News Digital previously reported.
The lifeguard's dramatic and widely hailed rescue of the boy — including by President Donald J. Trump, who invited the "heroic young man" and his family to the White House to be recognized — came during a weekend of hazardous conditions along the California coast.
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Hundreds of miles south, Los Angeles County lifeguards performed nearly 2,000 ocean rescues as extreme heat sent large crowds to the beaches, according to the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Division.
Water safety experts interviewed by Fox News Digital are urging beachgoers to take extra precautions as elevated surf and strong rip currents continue to affect portions of the Southern California coast, according to the National Weather Service.
Los Angeles County lifeguards performed nearly 2,000 ocean rescues over a single weekend this summer. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Division shared the rescue totals in an Instagram post, urging visitors to remain vigilant and speak with an on-duty lifeguard before entering the water.
"In total, @lacolifeguards performed just under 2,000 rescues as millions flocked to Los Angeles County beaches to beat the heat," the Instagram post read.
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"With a heat advisory continuing across the Southland and a Southern Hemisphere swell expected to keep surf elevated throughout the week, we encourage everyone to take proper precaution, and talk to a lifeguard about conditions before entering the water," officials said in the post.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which oversees the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Division, for additional comment.
Experts are urging beachgoers to take extra precautions this summer as elevated surf and strong rip currents are increasing. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
Swells from Hurricane Fausto affected Southern California during the rescue weekend and were expected to produce life-threatening surf and rip currents, according to the National Hurricane Center.
A later swell from Tropical Cyclone Genevieve was expected to bring high surf to Los Angeles and Ventura County beaches through Saturday, the National Weather Service said.
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The agency warned of strong rip and longshore currents.
The conditions should not be viewed as a one-time event, said Dr. Molly O’Shea, a Detroit-based pediatrician with Goldfish Swim School.
Lifeguard Ryder Williams, 16, battles towering waves while refusing to let go of a child swept into dangerous California surf in Santa Cruz, Calif., July 25, 2026. The dramatic rescue of the child has captured national attention. (Scott Vander Dussen/Instagram @Santacruznow)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center said El Niño is expected to strengthen.
O’Shea said the El Niño pattern, combined with swells, could produce elevated surf throughout the summer.
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"That combination can keep surf elevated on and off for weeks at a time," she told Fox News Digital.
O’Shea recommended that people swim near an open lifeguard tower and ask a lifeguard about the conditions before entering the water.
"If you see someone struggling, don’t swim out after them without something that floats," she added.
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"Throw it, don’t go — a lot of rip current deaths are bystanders who tried to help and got caught themselves."
The National Weather Service advises beachgoers to seek out a lifeguard or call 911 when someone is caught in a rip current. A flotation device should be thrown to the person when possible, and would-be rescuers should not enter the water without flotation equipment, according to the agency.
When caught in a rip current, swimmers should remain calm and avoid swimming directly against it, an expert said. (Don Leach/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
When caught in a rip current, swimmers should remain calm and avoid attempting to swim directly against it, O’Shea said.
"Panic makes people swim as hard as they can against it, and that’s exactly backwards — you’ll exhaust yourself before you get anywhere," she said.
"If you see someone struggling, don’t swim out after them without something that floats."
"The move is to relax, swim parallel to the beach until you’re out of the current, then let the waves angle you back in."
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Similarly, the National Weather Service advises swimmers caught in a rip current to move parallel to the shoreline until they escape its pull, then swim at an angle toward shore. Those who can't escape should float or tread water and signal for help, according to the agency.
Thomas Gill, president of the United States Lifesaving Association, urged beachgoers not to turn their backs on the ocean.
A lifeguard extends a rescue buoy to a struggling swimmer caught in a strong rip current in Newport Beach, Calif. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Gill, based in Virginia, told Fox News Digital swimmers should "not overestimate [their] ability to handle rough conditions."
"The larger surf leads to more opportunity for strong rip currents," he said.
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Rescue events, he added, "are not as uncommon as they seem," particularly during periods of dangerous surf.
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/nearly-2000-ocean-rescues-occur-dangerous-surf-slams-popular-beaches-summer