The surf is up and the gnarly conditions are prompting rip current warnings as south facing beaches get pounded with waves as high as 9-feet in Los Angeles further south in Orange County, where a swimmer remained missing.
The swells arrived Tuesday and built throughout the day, getting larger. A similar warning was in effect in Orange County, where a girl was swept into the ocean in Laguna Beach on Tuesday evening and remained missing Wednesday.
A Beach Hazards Statement issued by the National Weather Service warned of increasing wave heights and rip currents that can quickly pull a swimmer away from shore.
Los Angeles County lifeguards advise anyone entering the water “to understand the risks and assess conditions by talking to a lifeguard before getting into the surf.
“There is an increased risk of ocean drowning,” the National Weather Service stated. “Rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea. Waves can wash people off beaches and rocks and capsize small boats near shore.”
Rock jetties and groins can be particularly dangerous during such conditions, with a high risk of being washed into the water, according to the NWS.