Lifeguard Heroism: Tragic Mendocino Lifeguard Rescue
Tragic Mendocino Lifeguard Rescue
Lifeguard Heroism is not machoism or glory. It is often death-defying attempts to save a life. Lifeguard rescues are not always successful, but the bravery does not go without valor. In some of the most extreme coastal conditions in Northern California, veteran watermen and lifeguard Ean Miller attempted to save a life, by risking his own.
First Responder, Ean Miller’s account of the incident:
Ean Miller: Pretty heavy call. When the call came out, I was less than a minute away in my lifeguard unit. When I reached the locked gate there was a kid waving me down. I opened the gate and told him to jump in. Together we off-roaded the headlands to the spot his family was pointing and waving. Got my “go bag” and tried to locate a point last seen. The family said they just lost sight of him. I suited up and looked around. As I was suiting up the kid screamed “that’s my dad”. The victim popped up a minute later face down unconscious. I jumped in as a big set came, but while swimming toward him I lost sight of him as did the Ranger spotters on the cliff.
I maintained a position in the only calm spot I could for 5 or so more minutes until another set came as the spotters hadn’t seen the victim from the initial sighting. I decided it was way too dangerous in the inside area, and swam outside to blue water, which was a little safer, as I continued to search for 30-45 minutes. The seafoam was a foot thick or more, extremely hard to breathe and keep a visual on incoming surf and scanning for the victim. After another 5 or so minutes I swam with the current down toward Portuguese Beach thinking he might drift that way. Didn’t see anything and hopped on the Portuguese Wash Rock to reset. Mendo Ski found him about 200 yards from where I jumped in. CPR medics on the beach. It was a heavy scene with the entire 12-15 person family there. Things became very emotional when, while hugging the victim’s youngest son, I relayed what the medics had declared “that their father was gone, and I was so very sorry and I did everything I could.”
A word from Watermen Brand:
Here at Watermen Brand, our Lifeguard legacy roots run deep.
Our company founder was an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard for the City of Oceanside and California State Parks and later a Fire/Medic in charge of training fire/rescue swimmers for Half Moon Bay Fire Department. Ean Miller, son of Ken and Jennifer Miller, has been an Ocean Rescue Lifeguard for fifteen years and currently works for the State of California on the Mendocino Coast.111