Rescue Planned for Lifeguard Tower at Scripps Beach

Ioana Patringenaru | Feb. 7, 2011

Chancellor Marye Anne Fox predicted the remodeled lifeguard tower would benefit both San Diego residents and members of the UCSD San Diego community.

The beach below UCSD's Scripps Institution of Oceanography will become an even safer place by the end of April, with the addition of a revamped lifeguard tower to watch over beachgoers, Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders and city and fire and rescue officials announced at a press conference Thursday. The renovation project is set to be completed well before crowds hit the beach during summer break.

“This renovated tower will benefit both our campus and our community,” Fox said.

The project underscores the importance of partnering with other government agencies and private industry at a time of budget cuts and shrinking resources, Fox said.

The existing tower was built in the 1960s and is starting to show its age, she added. Lifeguards have been struggling with poor visibility, very little storage and poor ventilation. The remodel will add new glass windows to the structure, a better public announcement system and more storage, Fox said. Future plans also include solar panels on the tower’s roof.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders thanked Volunteer50 participants for their service.

That’s welcome help for lifeguards, who performed 84 rescues and 95 medical aids in the area in 2010 alone, said Mayor Sanders. The project is yet another example of the relationship between the city and the campus, he also said. “For decades now, the city and UC San Diego have been working on countless projects to improve the quality of life of our residents,” Sanders said.

Lifeguards will now be better able to protect swimmers, divers, surfers and other beachgoers, said San Diego Councilwoman Sherri Lightner. “Thank you for listening to our community’s needs and making lifeguards a priority,” she said.

Towers are instrumental in saving lives, said Rick Wurts, lifeguard chief in the City of San Diego. The structures give guards the opportunity to watch crowds from a quiet spot, without distraction, he explained. “They’re the first link in the chain of survival,” he said.

The remodel will be part of UCSD’s Volunteer50 initiative. All members of the campus community will have the opportunity to work on the project.

Also, as part of UCSD’s 50th anniversary celebration, the architectural firm that designed the Scripps Seaside Forum, Safdie Rabines, is donating architects’ time to draw up plans for the tower’s construction. As a result, the new structure will share the forum’s sleek angles and rich wood hues. Meanwhile, the Sundt construction company is contributing time to facilitate the remodel. The company also is working with other industry partners to solicit donations of construction materials.

Partial demolition of the current lifeguard tower is tentatively scheduled for the second week of February.