Lifeguards rescue boogie boarder

By Mike Madriaga
On February 4, lifeguard M. DeRieux, spotted a young boy as he “slipped off of his boogie board in a rip current directly off of the Mission Beach main tower,” reported the Lifeguards of San Diego Instagram page.

The original story was published in the print edition of the San Diego Reader on February 19, 2019.

“DeRieux [then] ran into the water with his can and fins while yelling to the victim to get back on their boogie board.” The lifeguards rescued the boy.

John, a bodyboarder who usually parks by Belmont Park and its Giant Dipper rollercoaster, rode Morey boogie boards at this beach since the early 1990s. “Sometimes, the surf can be small, but the rip current can still pull you. You can see the rip current if you sit back and watch the water. The water appears chopped up where the rip is at.”

The beachfront is about 2.3 miles northwest of the I-8 and W. Mission Bay Dr. exit. Magicseaweed.com reported the waves to be about three feet that Monday.

“The rip currents are extremely and deceivingly dangerous,” said Lifeguards of San Diego on Instagram. “Flanked by sandbars, rip currents are essentially a westward-moving river and the path of least resistance for water to move back out to sea after being washed to shore by the surf.

“If you are caught in a rip current: do not panic, remain on your flotation device if you have one, move parallel to shore if you have the power to do so. If you are in need of assistance, wave your arm in the air. Always ask a lifeguard where to swim prior to entering the water.”