SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego Lifeguards start their morning blocking off hazardous areas, then retreat to their towers to watch for danger in the water.
"More people means more problems," said Lieutenant Jacob Magness with San Diego Lifeguards.
These lifeguards see a lot in their 10-hour work days. So I caught up with Lt. Magness to learn the 'dos' and 'don't's when visiting the beach.
"I brought you down to the rock jetty of South Mission Beach," he said. "We consider this the most dangerous part of the entire beach."
Magness says he's most concerned over people swimming near the jetty. Lifeguards consider it to be a permanent rip current that can pull people out to sea even when they're close to shore.
"The only way to get out is to swim parallel to shore and come in down the beach somewhere," Magness said.
Magness says it's common for people to lose their kids in the crowds. You should agree on a meeting location- the easiest locator is a lifeguard tower.
"All of our lifeguard towers are numbered right now; we're at tower 13," he said. "So point that out to your children."
Magness also recommends bringing an umbrella and drinking around 140 ounces a day. In the worst-case scenario, there are an additional 220 lifeguards ready to help in the summer months. They'll stay out until the sun goes down.
"We're ready for it," he said. "It's going to be a repeat of Fourth of July weekend coming up."
