The Southern District lifeguards started off a little slow but finished strong to win the annual Ron Trenton Memorial Lifeguard Relays on Thursday, Aug. 6 at Ocean Beach. It was the second consecutive win for the Southern (Ocean Beach) team. The Central District (Pacific Beach and Mission Beach) team finished second, the Northern District (La Jolla) third, and the Boating Safety Unit (Mission Bay) was fourth. “It was a great competition,” said San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Lee Swanson. “Although there was a lot of rip current activity, which made the ocean conditions a challenge.”
The contest shows off the San Diego Lifeguards rescue skills in a spirited, yet, friendly competition. 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.
– Thomas Melville