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: