Pre-Disaster Photo by Newport's Rob Marienthal
Pre-Disaster Photo by Newport's Rob Marienthal

Dramatic Wedge Rescue Caught on Film

Saturday at about 4pm, with 20ft waves powering through the water at the Wedge, a couple on a rented Jetski decided that they wanted a closer look– a very bad decision on their part.  This was no accident, either.  Lifeguards had warned the couple earlier in the day to stay away from the wedge, said Newport Beach Marine Safety Capt. Skeeter Leeper.  Our lifeguards also have to routinely remind novice boaters to keep back from the Wedge waves, as many do not seem to realize how far back the waves actually break.

Immediately after the massive wave swamped the couple on the Jetski, lifeguards and “Wedge Crew” members immediately set into action to help the couple.  The Jetski was completely destroyed on a subsequent set of waves, and was then washed out to sea.

Two separate videos captured the dramatic rescue from different angles, with the first one also capturing the couple being swamped by the wave.
View the footage, here:

 

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About Mike Glenn

Mike is the founder and publisher of Save Newport and Chair of Government Relations for the Elks Lodge. He writes, shoots photos, and edits, but much of the time, he's just "the IT guy". He can be reached at: Google+, Facebook, or via email, at michael.glenn@devion.com