Two swimmers were pulled away from the shoreline Saturday after dangerous rip currents developed near the Venice Pier.
Witness Adam Rose told CBS News the water was among the most powerful he had seen, describing the conditions as some of the “worst rips” he’d ever encountered.
“I mean, it puts the gnarly in the idea of a gnarly rip current,” Rose told the station.
Rose recorded both rescues and later told CBS News he was relieved the swimmers made it out safely. The pair were rescued by two Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguards who battled the strong surf to reach them.
One of the lifeguards, Pono Barnes, reviewed Rose’s footage and said the swimmer’s composure was exactly what rescuers hope to see in that situation.
“That was an awesome display of that beach patron or that beachgoer staying calm,” Barnes told CBS News.
The rescues came during an especially demanding weekend for lifeguards, with ocean rescues climbing into the thousands between Friday and Sunday. Barnes told the station the surge was not unexpected given the conditions in the water.
“We have that human element paired with some significant swell in the water,” he said. “We have some hazardous conditions and rip currents are stronger and intensified by that swell.”
Lifeguards are also urging beachgoers not to rush into the water if they see someone struggling, warning that doing so could turn them into a second victim.
If you’re caught in a rip current, lifeguards also advise that swimmers don’t try to swim straight back to shore.
Instead, they recommend to stay calm, float if you can, and swim parallel to the shoreline until you’re out of the current before heading back to the beach.
