Ben exhibited an exceptional work ethic, love of the ocean, compassion, athleticism, and scholastic performance. Stacey Butler reports. ' Newport Beach is that famous a beach town. Carlson’s legacy has been carried on by family and friends who give back through the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation. On July 6, 2014 Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson died while trying to rescue a distressed swimmer. Many of those were dramatic lifesaving events that resulted in relieved and reunited families, but the next rescue would not. His legacy lives on through beach safety … Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), 5 years after his death, Ben Carlson’s lifeguard legacy lives on, Four dolphins, including baby, frolic near boats, paddleboarders in Dana Point Harbor. Ben Carlson is Newport Beach's first and only lifeguard to die during a rescue. The stainless-steel statue of fallen Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson, shown during its dedication in 2016, stands near the base of the Newport Pier. A movie called Part of Water tells the story of Carlson, the first lifeguard in the US to lose his life during the line of duty. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com. A movie based on Carlson’s life and lifeguarding has helped dispel long-held beliefs that lifeguards get to kick back and enjoy a day at the beach. Carlson was the Newport Beach lifeguard who died five years ago in big surf in Newport Beach. Thousands came out to pay tribute at a paddle-out off the Newport Pier, not far from where the lifeguard department would later rename its building the Benjamin M. Carlson Lifeguard Headquarters. Pirdy knows during the upcoming paddle, where friends will share stories about Carlson along the journey, the motivator pushing him toward the finish line will be the strength his friend had in life, and the legacy the lifeguard has left behind. The filmmakers said they have been in talks with a distribution company, with a digital release planned for Sept. 3. Ben Carlson was a 32-year-old experienced Newport Beach lifeguard. Does a plastic bag stuck on whale’s mouth indicate more ocean trash? He was a lover of the ocean and an accomplished and dedicated waterman having surfed big waves around the world and explored the beaches on distant shores. Since 2015 we are proud to have distributed over $125,000 in scholarship money to help further the education of numerous incredibly deserving students. Carlson’s influence on Newport Beach runs deep, beginning with the nine-foot, stainless-steel statue depicting the longtime lifeguard, an inlander from Rancho Cucamonga who yearned to live at the beach. “They don’t realize that mushroom-cloud water is a rip current that can kill them.”. The Ben Carlson Scholarship is a $10,000 grant which is awarded annually to the top 2 applicants from a worldwide search, in honor of Ben Carlson and his heroic legacy. During the rescue, the pair were hit by a 10-to-12-foot wave. The Carlson family also has a quiet tradition on that same day: bringing lifeguards lunch as a show of appreciation, a gesture marking the memory of their loved one. (Photo by Mark Rightmire,Orange County Register/SCNG), A message outside Avila’s restaurant in Newport Beach expresses the sadness many are feeling over the death of lifeguard Ben Carlson. Ben was eventually located more than a half a mile away from the original rescue location at 8 pm and was transported by Newport Beach Paramedics to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Ben Carlson loved big waves. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG), Simon Burtnyk, 10, of Newport Beach wears his Ben Did Go shirt on Ben Carlson Day at the Junior Lifeguard Headquarters in Newport Beach on Friday, July 6, 2018. Spencer Pirdy, a big-wave surfer from Newport Beach, was on a trip in Puerto Escondido when he heard the news of Carlson’s passing five years ago. The BCMSF is a DBA of the Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard Foundation, a tax deductible 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization. Downloadable Version. The Foundation continues to operate in Ben’s name, providing annual scholarships, serving under-resourced children and most importantly working to develop and improve systems to protect lifeguards and the public from a wonderful, but non-forgiving ocean. She has competed at the USLA National Championships for Team Texas both as a professional and junior lifeguard. A downloadable coloring book was created to help educate children on beach safety. Her coastal coverage now extends up the California coast into Long Beach and the South Bay. Ben Carlson, a longtime Newport Beach lifeguard, died in the line of duty five years ago on July 6. In Newport, it would be obvious. It’s a day that for the past few years has been recognized by lifeguards, who host an annual race in his honor based on Carlson’ favorite event from his days as a junior lifeguard instructor — a run-swim course from the Balboa Pier to the Wedge and back. Others have suggested naming Newport Beach lifeguard headquarters or … His death – on a busy Fourth of July weekend just days after his 32nd birthday – sent shockwaves not just throughout the Southern California coastal community, but through lifeguarding communities around the world. Carlson was a Newport Beach lifeguard who died five years ago in big surf in Newport Beach. He was, as described in a new film slated to be released on Sept. 3 … Ben Carlson's death was widely noted in the surfing and lifeguarding communities nationwide when it happened. Ben was a Division 1 Collegiate water polo player at UC Irvine and a strong, competitive swimmer. It occurred at the end of a busy 4th of July weekend that was marked by warm conditions, abnormally large and turbulent surf, and giant crowds. “When I look back, it’s nothing short of remarkable — from the statue being built or how far our community has come in giving lifeguards the respect they deserve,” he said. Allon Cameron, a friend of Ben Carlson -- the lifeguard who died in Newport Beach on July 5 while trying to rescue a struggling swimmer, at the memorial paddle. As they began to make their way back out to the rescue boat, both were hit by a large wave and taken over the falls. Ben Carlson, 32, was pulled from the water around 8 p.m. PDT by fellow lifeguards following a frantic, three-hour search, Newport Beach Fire Department Chief Scott Poster said. On July 6th, 2014, Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson responded to a call about a man in distress as 10-to-12-foot waves pounded the Southern California beach town. But other guards who didn’t know Carlson have come out to support the film, he said. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG), Ashley Meyer of Costa Mesa, right, takes photos of her daughters, Leila, 3, left, and McKenna, 15 months, as they sit in front of the Ben Carlson Day banner at the Junior Lifeguard Headquarters in Newport Beach on Friday, July 6, 2018. Newport Beach, CA — Lifeguard Ben Carlson gave all on July 6, 2014 when he drowned attempting to rescue a swimmer. (Dan R. Krauss / For the Times) 6 / 6 We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Ben Carlson was a Newport Beach lifeguard who passed away on July 6, 2014 while saving the life of another in the line of duty as he navigated the treacherous and massive surf. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG). The longtime lifeguard had surfed all over the world, and he’d mastered waves far larger than the 10- to 12-foot breaks that pummeled the Newport Beach coastline … Two young lifeguards and college students — Jessica Moore, of Tustin, and Tanner Curnow, of Fallbrook — on Friday, July 5, will receive $10,000 scholarships. The distressed swimmer made it to the surface and was rescued, but Ben was missing. The Ben Carlson Memorial Statue, made of marine-grade stainless steel, now sits in McFadden Square near the Newport Pier, just steps from the Benjamin M. Carlson Lifeguard … In 2007, she was selected for a prestigious Knight New Media fellowship focusing on digital media at UC Berkeley, where she learned skills to adapt to the ever-changing online landscape. A 3 hour search ensued that included members from 7 agencies including Newport Beach Lifeguards, Fire, Police, Orange County Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol, Huntington Beach Lifeguards, Laguna Beach Lifeguards and State Parks. A lot of the guards knew Ben or worked with him,” said Murgatroyd, who grew up surfing in Malibu. (Photo courtesy of the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation), Newport Beach junior lifeguards sign their names on the Ben Carlson Day banner hanging at the Junior Lifeguard Headquarter. With some of the money raised, Pirdy has teamed with the foundation to bring buoys and fins to lifeguards at Puerto Escondido, Carlson’s favorite big-wave spot, where he was a fixture in the water. “Obviously, we wanted to tell Ben’s story right, but to tell the story of lifeguards the right way … it’s been special.”. Since the foundation started, it has awarded $125,000 in scholarship funds. “His death just drove me to do that,” Pirdy said. The statue of Ben Carlson stands at the base of the Newport Beach Pier in Newport Beach on Friday, April 6, 2018. Ben had just turned 32 and had proudly served as a Newport Beach Lifeguard for over 15 years. Another is being planned for next year, again bringing lifesaving agencies, doctors and others together to determine best practices to prevent drowning. The lifeguard was identified as 32-year-old Ben Carlson, a 15-year veteran of the department. The incident began shortly after 5 p.m., when a rescue boat identified a swimmer in distress near 16th street. At 5:15 pm, Newport Beach Lifeguards Ben Carlson and Gary Conwell were patrolling beyond the large surf in a NBLG rescue boat when they spotted a distressed swimmer. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Carlson, a 15-year Newport Beach lifeguard veteran, went into the water off a boat. © 2019 Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation. And earlier this year, the foundation hosted the first Water Safety Summit in Newport Beach. A statue honoring lifeguard Ben Carlson, who died in the line of duty on July 6, 2014, is unveiled Wednesday night in McFadden Square at Newport Pier. Veteran California lifeguard, 32, died of accidental drowning while trying to save someone in the water Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson died in due to accidental drowning Ben Carlson, a longtime Newport Beach lifeguard, died in the line of duty five years ago on July 6. The summit served in part as a tribute to Ben Carlson, a 15-year veteran Newport Beach Lifeguard, who, in 2014, became the first city lifeguard to die in the line of duty. Wetlands work helps restore, spruce up dwindling coastal habitat, Odd sight: Dana Point surfer charged a massive 40-foot Mavericks wave – wearing water skis, Warm 80 degree weather, strong winds and more surf on the way, Coronavirus: 78 new deaths, 2,752 new cases in Orange County on Jan. 23, Grieving has been difficult for the family of Sarah and Payton Chester, who died in last year’s helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant, Bomb thrown into El Monte church criticized for extremist views on gay people, others, Catholic cemeteries, mortuaries to offer contactless options amid pandemic, nine-foot, stainless-steel statue depicting the longtime lifeguard, sold out when it debuted at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation will offer three $10,000 scholarships in Ben’s memory. The statue of Ben was gifted to the City of Newport Beach by the Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation, a group of family, fellow lifeguards and friends who all loved Ben. “He was the superman of lifeguards,” he said. She worked for the Galveston Island Beach Patrol for 5 years and was a junior lifeguard for 10. Carlson was a Newport Beach lifeguard who died five years ago in big surf in Newport Beach. Ben Carlson is seen in a photo posted on social media by the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division. The challenge is now a paddle course, which this year will start from a cove in Catalina at 4 a.m. July 27 and head to the Newport Pier, ending at Carlson’s statue at about 3 p.m. An estimated 40 people will join the invite-only paddle, dubbed “Ben Did Go 4.0” with a goal of raising $40,000. Ben Carlson was a veteran Newport Beach lifeguard who died attempting to rescue a swimmer on July 6, 2014. Raise Up For Ben. That year, he raised $15,000 for the foundation, with each successive year topping the previous year’s total. A 32-year-old Newport Beach lifeguard who was the first in the city’s history to die in the line of duty was being praised Monday as a hero who loved his job. “We’ve just been overwhelmed and honored we’ve been able to tell lifeguards’ stories that they’ve been proud of,” he said. The concept behind th “It’s like he had this never-tiring engine,” he said. Ben Carlson, 32, attempted to rescue a swimmer in distress in the water off 16th Street on July 6. The Ben Carlson Memorial Statue, designed by Ben's brother-in-law/artist Jake Janz, will be installed near the recently renamed Benjamin M. Carlson Lifeguard Headquarters at the Newport Beach Pier over the summer of 2015. (Photo by MINDY SCHAUER, Orange County Register/SCNG), Ben Carlson, a longtime Newport Beach lifeguard, died in the line of duty five years ago on July 6. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG), This undated photo provided by the Newport Beach Police Department shows Ben Carlson, 32, a Newport Beach lifeguard who drowned while trying to rescue a swimmer off the Southern California beach on Sunday, July 6, 2014. “I think the biggest takeaway for us was the appreciation that a lot of guards have. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. ben carlson Newport Beach Fire Department Lifeguard, Ben Carlson, 32, drowned July 6th while attempting to rescue a swimmer in the waters off Newport Beach. Then, it will move to New York and other areas outside of Southern California. Project Wipeout honors Ben Carlson, an heroic lifeguard in Newport Beach. On July 6th, 2014, veteran Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson responded to a call of a man in distress. Laylan Connelly started as a journalist in 2002 after earning a degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. “We’ve all just become closer, because of one amazingly heroic act by an amazing human being.”. Ellie Cherryhomes received the Ben Carlson scholarship in 2015. Newport Beach Lifeguards made 562 rescues that holiday weekend. “Lifeguards, in general, are humble heroes,” Moore said. Moore said the foundation will install kiosks at beach entry points around Newport to provide beach safety tips. His legacy lives on through beach safety efforts, scholarships, education programs and more. Ben jumped from the boat and after a long swim made contact with the man. Ben Carlson was a Newport Beach Lifeguard that died in the line of duty July 6, 2014. That’s what motivated Pirdy to start the “Ben Did Go” fundraiser a year after Carlson’s death. “They aren’t lucky like the guards here,” he said. Ben had just turned 32 and had proudly served as a Newport Beach Lifeguard for over 15 years. Carlson was pulled from the water by fellow lifeguards following a frantic, three-hour search. DATE: July 7, 2014 CONTACT: Tom Gill – 757-580-7391 The United States Lifesaving Association (www.usla.org) has been informed of the tragic loss of Ben Carlson, a veteran Newport Beach, California lifeguard who died on a rescue in 10 – 12 foot seas, July 6, 2014.The United States Lifesaving Association joins lifeguards, first responders and the … But the biggest thing to come out of Carlson’s accident is a deeper understanding for the role lifeguards play in public safety, something often overlooked by the general public, he said. The dedications continue in his honor, with the city of Newport Beach, a week ago, officially declaring July 6 as Ben Carlson Day. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The statue, very much a community project, was created by a Newport Beach artist and fabricated in southern California (stainless steel). It’s the first lifeguarding film that depicts the challenges and dangers of the job, moving away from the “Baywatch” image that has lingered for decades. Carlson drowned on Sunday , July 6 2014, while trying to save someone. The foundation’s goal is also to make the beach – in Orange County and around the world – a safer place. “We feel like we’re only getting the feet under us and getting our momentum,” said John Moore, a Newport Beach lifeguard and foundation board member. On July 6, 2014 during a large hurricane swell, Newport Beach veteran lifeguard Ben Carlson drowned while saving a swimmer’s life. (AP Photo/Newport Beach Police Department), Family members of Ben Carlson, friends and fellow Newport Beach lifeguards cheer and embrace as the new Ben Carlson statue is unveiled during a ceremony at in McFadden Square at the Newport Beach Pier on Wednesday, July 6, 2016. Ben was a Division 1 Collegiate water polo player at UC Irvine and a strong, competitive swimmer. Through the years, she has covered several cities for The Orange County Register, starting as a beat reporter in Irvine before focusing on coastal cities such as Newport Beach, Dana Point and Laguna Beach. His legacy lives on through beach safety … He was the first and only Newport Beach Lifeguard to die in the line of duty since the service was formed in 1923. He was a lover of the ocean and an accomplished and dedicated waterman having surfed big waves around the world and explored the beaches on distant shores. Five years after the Newport Beach lifeguard died during a rescue in big surf, on July 6, 2014, his influence is apparent not just in the coastal community he vowed to protect, but in the continued effort by friends and loved ones to make beaches around the world a safer place in his honor. “When we go out to the lifeguard stations, fewer and fewer people remember Ben,” said his father, Chris Carlson. Ben Carlson is seen in a photo posted on social media by the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. They were chosen because they exemplify Carlson’s attributes: They are hard-working, athletic and ambitious, with a strong focus on education and a passion for lifeguarding. This undated photo provided by the Newport Beach Police Department shows Ben Carlson, 32, a Newport Beach lifeguard who drowned … NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Just months after veteran lifeguard Ben Carlson lost his life trying to rescue a swimmer in distress, the City of Newport Beach honored his legacy. Pirdy remembers Carlson working full shifts lifeguarding on the beach, riding his bike 10 miles home, then working a night job bartending. About the same time, she began covering the 42-miles of Orange County coastline, focusing on lifestyle, environment, surf culture and anything having to do with the beach. The Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation hopes to erect a statue of him at the Balboa Pier. “Part of Water,” created by Newport local Tim Burnham and Jack Murgatroyd, who lives in Santa Monica, sold out when it debuted at the Newport Beach Film Festival and seats filled up at a festival held weeks later at Newport Harbor High School with all-day showings of the movie. The funds were provided by many incredible individuals and organizations, some of whom are listed on the plaques surrounding the memorial. That first year, he completed a solo trek paddling 31 miles to Catalina from Newport Beach, running a marathon the next day on the island, and paddling home on the third day. The 15-year department veteran went into the water to help a swimmer struggling in the water when they were hit by a large wave. In his life, Ben Carlson was a hero who saved countless other lives guarding the Newport Beach coastline. The Ben Did Go 5.0 happened on Saturday, Aug. 1, a 30-mile paddle from Catalina to Newport Beach to pay tribute to lifeguard Ben Carlson, who died during a rescue in 2014. Carlson’s family, wishing to carry on Ben’s legacy, announced that a scholarship will be started in honor of the lifeguard, who had attended both UC Riverside and UC Irvine. Newport Beach is that famous a beach town. It was Carlson who introduced him to the tight-knit, big-wave community off Mexico’s coast, and Pirdy couldn’t believe that someone with so much ocean knowledge, so much physical strength, could be taken by the ocean. He gained his love and appreciation of the water from his family who introduced him to the ocean during a lifetime of beach-going, surfing and sailing. Dozens of extreme athletes took to the waters this weekend to honor fallen lifeguard Ben Carlson by paddling the 30 miles from Catalina Island to Newport Beach and raising money in the process. 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