Lifeguard I

Department of Parks and Recreation

1/21/2023

Special Act Award (Gold)

On the evening of Saturday, January 21, 2023, lifeguards Max Hunter and Riley Rhodes were 10 minutes away from clocking out for the day when they received reports of a lost swimmer off Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay. With a minus tide in full effect, the lifeguards quickly arrived on the scene and from a cliff were able to catch a glimpse of the distressed individual about 300 yards out. Donned with their wetsuits, fins and rescue buoys, the lifeguards entered the water as the light was quickly fading. For the next 20 minutes, they swam through large swells more than 8 feet high and navigated shallow sandbars, deep holes and unrelenting surf to reach the spot where they hoped they would find the victim. But as they cleared the breaking waves, they realized they had lost sight of the swimmer over the swell lines. Ensuring they stayed together, the lifeguards began to urgently call out and heard the man screaming for help moments later. Guided by the victim’s cries, they finally reached him, roughly 500 yards from shore. Pummeled by waves, the lifeguards provided the victim with a floatation device. Due to the extremely hazardous conditions and darkness, the units on shore had lost sight of all parties and repeatedly attempted to call the lifeguards back. Believing that the local harbor patrol had seen them, the lifeguards tried to swim the victim to the patrol vessel since they were much closer to the boat than the beach. However, after towing for several minutes, they realized that the patrol boat had not seen them, and the vessel was moving away. During this time, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter arrived overhead and immediately began flying a search pattern to find them with no success. Lifeguards Hunter and Rhodes ultimately decided they had to swim to shore, towing the victim in a rescue buoy in complete darkness, while navigating the increasingly dangerous conditions. After being in the water for nearly an hour while navigating large winter surfs and rip currents, the two eventually towed the exhausted survivor ashore near Redondo Beach, almost a mile from where they had first entered the water. For the other first responders on the beach, seeing the lifeguards emerge with the rescued individual was truly wondrous. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Department of Parks and Recreation, Lifeguard I Max Hunter for his extraordinary act of heroism extending far above and beyond the normal call of duty.