| L.A. City Lifeguard Search and Rescue Team |
| The L.A. City Lifeguard Urban Search and Rescue Team is comprised of highly trained open water lifeguards. The rescue team trains year round, usually twice a month depending on the season. The primary responsibilities of the rescue team are search and rescue/recovery dive operations. Most dive trainings are conducted at Cabrillo Beach, however, multi-agency search and rescue operations are frequently conducted with the U.S. Coast Guard, L.A. City Fire Department, among others. Although most of the trainings are geared toward diving scenarios, the team is also fluent in the art of swift water rescue. Download our Dive Team video! |
| Minimum requirements to join the Rescue Team: - Minimum 2 years open water lifeguard experience (L.A. City) - EMT certification - Swift Water Rescue Certification - Open Water Scuba Certification - Rescue Diver Scuba Certification - Dry Suit Scuba Certification - Pass the written entrance exam (mainly diving material) - Ability to attend all rescue team trainings |
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| Current L.A. City Urban Rescue and Response Team during the last swift water rescue training. |
| Lifeguard Joji Abasolo being assisted out of the water during a mock rescue at the L.A. aquaduct. |
| Lifeguard Gus Cortez at the L.A. aquaduct. |
| View from the water just before going under "the pipe" at the L.A. aquaduct. |
| Lifeguard Gus Cortez demonstrating what it is like to hit the "strainer" at the L.A. aquaduct. |
| Rescue team member attempting to get over the "strainer" at the L.A. aquaduct. The "strainer" is a large PVC pipe that is hung off the bridge to simulate debre in the water. The object is to make it over the strainer to aviod getting trapped underneath by the force of the water during a real rescue. |
| Lifeguards Mike Tockstein and Joji Abasolo during a mock rescue at the L.A. aquaduct. |
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| The rescue team's dry suit equipment all layed out just before a dive operation. |
| Lifeguard Jason Welke suited up ready to go during a search and recovery dive at Lake Balboa. |
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| Rescue team members Luca Gaetani, Jason Welke, Jaime Bautista, and Gus Cortez, on thier way out during a search and recovery dive at Lake Balboa. |
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