The incident occurred Sunday morning in the 6900 block of Pacific Avenue, on the beach near Tower 42. Photo: KTLA
Amid elevated surf as a result of Tropical Storm Rachel, a man was found deceased at Dockweiler Beach in Marina Del Rey. Though Newport has received the brunt of the heavy water hitting the Southern California coastline, nearby Los Angeles has also seen its share of swell.
The incident occurred Sunday morning in the 6900 block of Pacific Avenue, on the beach near Tower 42. Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard specialist Jake Miller told The Los Angeles Times that two bystanders spotted the man acting erratically on the beach. “He was in and out of the water, swimming and on land,” he said. “They were on a morning walk and saw him rolling around near the shore on the surf line.”
Nearby lifeguards responded and initiated life-saving measures. Using a Lucas device — a battery-powered system that provides mechanical chest compressions — they performed 20 minutes of CPR before declaring the man deceased.
Though the storm has caused elevated surf that has led to multiple Southern California beaches being closed, including notorious swell magnet The Wedge, is is unclear what exactly was the cause of death.
“It gets shore-pounded up there—waves crashing close to the beach—and any time there is water someone can drown,” added Miller. “But it could have also been a medical emergency.”
He also added that the man was wearing “ragged” clothing and no bathing suit, indicating that he may have been unhoused.
