The San Diego Lifeguards will be exhibiting their rescue skills at an upcoming spirited competition event that is open to the public 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 at Ocean Beach (just north of the OB Pier on the beach).
The Lifeguard Relay is a competition between the four districts within the San Diego Lifeguard Service. The relays include twelve legs which demonstrate the different rescue techniques used in ocean rescue such as running, swimming, paddle boarding, and landline rescue.
The San Diego Lifeguard Service is geographically divided into four districts. The Southern District includes Ocean Beach; the Central District includes the Mission and Pacific Beaches; the Northern District includes all of the La Jolla beaches; and the Boating Safety Unit, including Mission Bay, is considered the fourth district.
The Lifeguard Relays serve three general purposes:
1.) Motivation for lifeguards to fine tune their rescue skills and athleticism.
2.) A means to foster camaraderie and esprit de corps among lifeguards from different Districts.
3.) An opportunity to showcase various rescue techniques to the public.
The relays are named after veteran lifeguard and long time Northern District Team Captain, Ronald B. Trenton. Ron was lost at sea while piloting his private plane from Catalina Island to San Diego in 1997.