LA County’s lifeguards honored for heroism to kick off surf festival

The Los Angeles County Fire Department ocean lifeguard quickly swam 200 yards into the waters off Zuma Beach to the first of two swimmers sucked into a strong rip current.

After reaching the swimmer, he noticed the other several feet away in a higher level of distress and made his way to attempt a rescue. Lifeguard Joe Everett had followed Hopkins and tended to the first victim.

Hopkins bear-hugged the second swimmer after he appeared to be incoherent and swam him to a nearby rescue boat.

His actions earned him the department’s lifeguard Medal of Valor Wednesday, where several other lifeguards were recognized for there service.

“There’s a lot of really crazy rescues that happen all year round,” Hopkins said before an awards dinner in Redondo Beach. “It’s kind of normal for us because we do it all the time.”

Rescue boat Capt. Chris Lallone and Capt. Patrick O’ Neill both received the Distinguished Service award for their roles in providing medical treatment and assisting in the rescue.

Agoura resident Joseph Rickabaugh received the Medal of Valor for his actions on May 24 when he rescued a surfer floating 100 yards away from where he was surfing.

“Coming up to him I thought ‘I need to get this guy to shore and he needs CPR,’” said Richabaugh, who also teaches surfing on the side at Zuma Beach.

Rickabaugh was off-duty while surfing near the Ventura County line when he swam 100 yards to the surfer and put him on his surfboard and brought him to shore.

The 25-year-old had made rescues over his three years as a part-time lifeguard, “but never this extreme,” he said.

In addition to the medal of valor, several lifeguards were recognized the Distinguished Service Medals and a Lifetime Achievement awards.

Lifeguard Capt. Brandon Chapman was presented with the Distinguish Service Award for his actions in November. While patrolling Venice Beach, Chapman and several good Samaritans rescued a 14-year-old boy trapped under three feet of sand.

Greg Crum, an ocean lifeguard specialist, and lifeguard Ignacio Pagliaro were honored for proving CPR to a victim at El Porto beach on May 12.

Retired Capt. Dan Atkins received the Lifetime Achievement Award for a lifeguard career that began in 1973 where he oversaw the Lifeguard Operation into the LA County Fire Department.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Ocean Lifeguards make an estimated 12,000 ocean rescues and respond to more than 15,000 medical emergencies, according to the United States Lifesaving Association.

The agency employs roughly 900 full-time and part-time lifeguards to patrols 72 miles of coastline.

“What we’re trying to do is just recognize the daily work what these guys do everyday,” said Acting Chief Lifeguard Fernando Boiteux.