Help! San Diego Lifeguards to the Rescue: A History of Their Service, Volume 1, 1868-1941

This compelling, comprehensive, and very readable history of lifeguards along the San Diego Coast follows the evolution and acceptance of the need for public safety and the development of agencies to provide that service. The book chronicles the early pre-lifeguard years where citizens provided the aquatic rescues in bay and ocean. The narrative follows the implementation of private lifeguards at bathhouses along the coast, and finally the creation of the City’s lifeguard service. From the ashes of tragic incidents has grown a dedicated professional service that sees its greatest gift being the ability to save another person’s life. Examples of tragedies that lead to the growth of the service include:

The death of a bathhouse lifeguard while making a rescue in 1913 paved the way for the implementation of the San Diego Lifeguard Service.

The Ocean Beach Mass drowning May 5, 1918, which provided impetus for beach safety improvements, including more lifeguards.