• La Jolla Shores beaches — from the Marine Room to Scripps Pier — were closed after lifeguards spotted a 12- to 15-foot great white shark about 50 yards off La Jolla Shores around 3 p.m. on July 2. Nearby beaches — including Black’s Beach, La Jolla Cove and the beach at Scripps Institution of Oceanography — were put under an advisory warning immediately after the sighting. Following the sighting, lifeguards scoured the waters by boat and helicopter for several hours, but did not locate the shark. At press time, there were no further sightings of the shark, and all of La Jolla Shores’ beaches were reopened, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday. Lifeguards urge continued caution to beachgoers in the area. • Lifeguards, paramedics and a Good Samaritan successfully resuscitated a 62-year-old man who had a heart attack at the northern end of Black’s Beach on June 26. Lifeguard Sgt. Eric Care was nearby and responded to the call from dispatch, along with several other lifeguards. “The crossing over the cobble-stones was technical but the clearance of the [Toyota] Tundra made it possible. The former Expedition U-31 most likely would have become stuck,” said Care of the lifeguards’ new vehicles, donated to the city by Toyota. Once lifeguards arrived on the scene, a citizen was already giving competent CPR, said Care. Lifeguards then used an automated external defibrillator immediately and chest compressions were administered intermittently for 10 minutes. After the third shock, the man was revived and was transferred to a nearby hospital. “The call couldn’t have gone much better, in my opinion,” said Care. “Effective CPR took place immediately and advanced care was en route while the patient was revived. As soon as the transport was needed, we had three medics at the patient and a helicopter landing.” • Marine Street and Windansea lifeguards rescued a family of four caught in the Sea Lane rip current on July 1. Two lifeguards witnessing the incident from the beach used rescue buoys to get all four swimmers out of the water and safely on shore. None of the family members were hurt. Lt. Andy Lerum had some advice for swimmers in the sometimes-unpredictable ocean. “First of all, always swim with a buddy,” he said. “If you get stuck in a rip current, the best thing to do is not to panic, and swim parallel to shore until you are out of the rip current and catch the whitewater waves to shore.” • A parasailer who was relatively new to the area lost his lift and made an emergency crash landing on the side of a cliff. Although he was uninjured and landed in a relatively stable area, he was stuck in an area where he could not go any further toward land. Lifeguards were able to rescue the parasailer from the cliff side, and he was not hurt.
