Lifeguards receive Medal of Valor, Heroic Act awards for rescues along the coast

In the face of danger, the rescuers quickly jumped into action to save lives in harrowing, deadly situations.

Dramatic rescues that happened along the California coastline the past year were described in detail in an awards ceremony at the annual meeting of the California Surf Life Saving Association and the United States Lifesaving Association this week in Laguna Beach, with four Medal of Valor and 14 Heroic Act honors given to lifeguards from across the state.

The Medal of Valor is the highest award given to a professional lifeguard who voluntarily risks their life in an extraordinary effort to save another.

“It is an honor to recognize the heroism of these rescuers who acted decisively despite great personal risk,” said Gus Avila, president of the CSLSA, in a statement. “These award recipients embody courage and going above and beyond the call of duty. Their actions are both inspirational and worthy of recognition.”

Long Beach Rescue Boat Captain Aaron Fletcher and Marine Safety Officer Devon Beebe earned the Medal of Valor for a July 3, 2024 rescue involving a 48-foot sport fishing boat that collided into the rocks at the Alamitos Bay channel jetty and was sinking, endangering its 10 passengers.

All but one of the passengers were saved by the rescue personnel. Beebe was able to pull the unresponsive victim from underwater and out of the boat, they were pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital.

“It was a crazy call, it was a lot. But that’s where all of our training comes together,” Beebe said. “It’s unfortunate that there was a fatality, but I’m really glad everyone else made it out.”

Seal Beach lifeguards Ellie Sherlock and Dean Frizzell received a Heroic Act Award for a Dec. 22 rescue of an exhausted swimmer caught in strong rip currents and 8- to 10-foot waves.

The victim and rescuers were being swept dangerously close to the Seal Beach Pier, and had to thread through the pier’s pilings, but they were able to get the victim to shore safely about three-quarters of a mile from where the rescue began.

Heroic Act Awards were also given to another set of Seal Beach lifeguards, Beau Wade, Brett Peoples and Chris Dominguez, for the rescue of a struggling swimmer that same day.

Long Beach Lifeguard Scott Dixon received the Heroic Act Award for his Dec. 6 off-duty rescue of a driver and two passengers from an overturned vehicle that had crashed into the Los Cerritos flood control channel.

Several California State Parks Ocean Lifeguards earned the Heroic Act Award for treating an Fijian outrigger paddler having a cardiac arrest during a trek from Catalina to Newport Beach.

Lifeguards Steve Ayers, Maddie Gamette, Kailey Bayanat, Masen Karsten, Samuel Muller and Brandon Tran rotated while providing 35 minutes of CPR in the open ocean, timing their compressions with the rise and fall of the boat.

“Everybody was so professional,” Ayers said of the crew, noting they had to pass the defibrillator between boats in the rough seas, the guards jumping into the water to transfer onto the boat where the victim was located.

The man had regained a pulse by the time he was transferred to Newport Beach Fire Department medics. The lifeguards later got to visit the 55-year-old paddler when he was released from the hospital.

“It’s nice, I wasn’t really expecting an award – we were just doing our jobs,” Karsten said. “We were just doing what we were trained for.”

State Parks Lifeguard Zoe Chait was out surfing at Linda Mar in Pacifica on Nov. 21 when she noticed fire trucks responding to the beach. She got out of the water, checked Pulse Point for active rescues, and quickly grabbed her buoys and fins to help.

When she realized someone was pulled out to sea by strong winds, and she was the most qualified to swim out into the rough seas to retrieve the surfer about 200 yards from shore, Chait jumped into action. She was honored with a Heroic Act Award.

Santa Cruz Lifeguard Lt. Ben Coffey and Lifeguard Xander Mehl earned the Medal of Valor for their Dec. 23 rescue of two surfers in 25- to 30-foot waves off an area of shoreline referred to by locals as “Death Rocks,” using a jet ski that was nearly swallowed by the massive waves.

“It’s really cool that we can get so many lifeguards together and recognize the incredible things we do,” Beebe said. “I think we are pretty humble folk so it’s really amazing to hear about everyone’s accomplishments.”