Dexter Lima (Family photo)
MANHATTAN BEACH -- A teenage boy from Torrance who was swept underwater by powerful surf in Manhattan Beach over the weekend died Monday.
Dexter Lima, 17, died at a hospital around 6:15 p.m., said Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Bryan Klatt.
Lima was swimming near the pier with his cousin around 5:45 p.m. Sunday when a wave knocked them under. The boy's cousin quickly surfaced, but Lima did not.
It took rescuers more than 20 minutes to find him near the pier.
Lima was not breathing and did not have a pulse when he was brought to shore.
He was taken to Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in grave condition and placed on life support.
This past weekend was the busiest so far this year for local lifeguards because of the high surf.
The dangerously high waves that were pounding SoCal beaches began shrinking Sunday and diminished rapidly early this week.
On Saturday, about 500 people crowded The Wedge, a popular jetty in Newport Beach, to watch surfers ride waves up to 18 feet high.
Waves were 4 to 7 feet in most areas, and 8 to 10 feet at the Huntington Beach Pier.
The big waves, caused by a storm off Tahiti, attracted beachgoers trying to beat the heat.
The conditions were perfect for surfers at theHurley U.S. Open of Surfing competition, which wrapped up in Huntington Beach Sunday.
But the surf is proved too much for other beachgoers, and lifeguards were warning them not to go into the water if the surf got too high and dangerous.
The waves were especially big during high tides, and they generated dangerous rip currents.
Lifeguards up and down the Southern California coast responded to numerous calls for help from swimmers and surfers who got in over their heads.
Lifeguards in Malibu Saturday reported about 30 rescues at Zuma beach and about 10 at Malibu, according to Capt. Adam Uehara of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards.
Friday afternoon at The Wedge, a body surfer died after being slammed into the rocks by a set of 20 foot waves in Newport Beach.
The man, identified as 50-year-old Monte Kevin Valantin of Lawndale, was riding waves with several other body surfers when he became separated from the group, according to witnesses.
A set of twenty foot waves repeatedly pushed the man into the rocks as he struggled to swim out of the area.
Lifeguards risked their own lives and dove into the water in an attempt to rescue Valantin.
With the help of other body surfers, lifeguards were able to pull him out of the water and onto a lifeguard rescue boat.
Valantin, however, was "unresponsive" and not breathing when lifeguards reached him, according to fire officials.
He was transported to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, where he was pronounced dead.
The National Weather Service issued warnings to boaters in south-facing harbors to anchor down. And beach homeowners also were told to be wary of increased erosion from large waves and high tides.
Large waves went over the jetties at 56th Street in Newport Beach.
People flocked to the beaches over the weekend not only to watch the monster waves, but also to escape inland temperatures in the 80s and 90s, as compared to the upper 60s and low 70s registered along the coast.
Forecasters said the heat wave that has created broiling condition in the region for more than a week will continue into this week.
The weather service forecasted "triple-digit heat across portions of the mountains, deserts and interior valleys. The hot and fairly dry conditions will continue to bring heightened fire weather conditions to much of the interior through the week."
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Dexter Lima, 17, died at a hospital around 6:15 p.m., said Manhattan Beach police Sgt. Bryan Klatt.
Lima was swimming near the pier with his cousin around 5:45 p.m. Sunday when a wave knocked them under. The boy's cousin quickly surfaced, but Lima did not.
It took rescuers more than 20 minutes to find him near the pier.
Lima was not breathing and did not have a pulse when he was brought to shore.
He was taken to Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in grave condition and placed on life support.
This past weekend was the busiest so far this year for local lifeguards because of the high surf.
The dangerously high waves that were pounding SoCal beaches began shrinking Sunday and diminished rapidly early this week.
On Saturday, about 500 people crowded The Wedge, a popular jetty in Newport Beach, to watch surfers ride waves up to 18 feet high.
Waves were 4 to 7 feet in most areas, and 8 to 10 feet at the Huntington Beach Pier.
The big waves, caused by a storm off Tahiti, attracted beachgoers trying to beat the heat.
The conditions were perfect for surfers at theHurley U.S. Open of Surfing competition, which wrapped up in Huntington Beach Sunday.
But the surf is proved too much for other beachgoers, and lifeguards were warning them not to go into the water if the surf got too high and dangerous.
The waves were especially big during high tides, and they generated dangerous rip currents.
Lifeguards up and down the Southern California coast responded to numerous calls for help from swimmers and surfers who got in over their heads.
Lifeguards in Malibu Saturday reported about 30 rescues at Zuma beach and about 10 at Malibu, according to Capt. Adam Uehara of the Los Angeles County Lifeguards.
Friday afternoon at The Wedge, a body surfer died after being slammed into the rocks by a set of 20 foot waves in Newport Beach.
The man, identified as 50-year-old Monte Kevin Valantin of Lawndale, was riding waves with several other body surfers when he became separated from the group, according to witnesses.
A set of twenty foot waves repeatedly pushed the man into the rocks as he struggled to swim out of the area.
Lifeguards risked their own lives and dove into the water in an attempt to rescue Valantin.
With the help of other body surfers, lifeguards were able to pull him out of the water and onto a lifeguard rescue boat.
Valantin, however, was "unresponsive" and not breathing when lifeguards reached him, according to fire officials.
He was transported to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, where he was pronounced dead.
The National Weather Service issued warnings to boaters in south-facing harbors to anchor down. And beach homeowners also were told to be wary of increased erosion from large waves and high tides.
Large waves went over the jetties at 56th Street in Newport Beach.
People flocked to the beaches over the weekend not only to watch the monster waves, but also to escape inland temperatures in the 80s and 90s, as compared to the upper 60s and low 70s registered along the coast.
Forecasters said the heat wave that has created broiling condition in the region for more than a week will continue into this week.
The weather service forecasted "triple-digit heat across portions of the mountains, deserts and interior valleys. The hot and fairly dry conditions will continue to bring heightened fire weather conditions to much of the interior through the week."
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