Statue of lifeguard Carlson, who died rescuing swimmer, wins Newport council’s OK
A stainless-steel likeness of Ben Carlson, the Newport Beach lifeguard who died while helping a struggling swimmer last summer, will soon stand watch over the coastline, reminding beachgoers to respect the ocean and the lifeguards who watch over them.
The Newport Beach City Council praised Carlson’s family and friends for their fundraising effort before voting unanimously Tuesday night to approve a 9-foot statue of Carlson that the family hopes will be placed near the Newport Pier by the end of the year.
Carlson died in large surf while trying to rescue a swimmer on July 6, four days after the veteran lifeguard turned 32. The swimmer survived, but Carlson was the first lifeguard to die in the line of duty in the Newport Beach department’s nearly 100-year history.
“It would have been easy for you to retreat into remorse, but you didn’t,” Councilman Tony Petros told Carlson’s family.
Instead, after Carlson’s death, his family and friends formed the Benjamin Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation and began raising money for the statue. The organization also has awarded two student scholarships in the past year.
The nonprofit organization recently surpassed its fundraising goal for the memorial statue, which is estimated to cost $125,000, said Jake Janz, Carlson’s brother-in-law.
The matte silver statue, which will be created with 3-D printing technology, will be placed on a 20-by-20-foot block of concrete surrounded by a ring of greenery in McFadden Square, where Carlson spent much of his time, Janz said.
The statue will depict Carlson clutching a rescue tube and fins in his left hand while his right hand shades his eyes as he gazes toward the ocean. His swim trunks will seem to ripple in the breeze.
Beachgoers with smartphones will be prompted when walking past the statue to go to a website where they can learn more about Carlson and the dangers of the ocean that claimed his life.
“We figured if we’re going to carry out Ben’s legacy, we want to tell the story of the lifeguards as well,” Janz said. “They deserve the utmost respect.”
[For the record, 1:30 p.m. June 25: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated which hand of the Carlson statue will carry lifeguard equipment and which will shade his eyes. Current renderings of the statue depict Carlson shading his eyes with his right hand and carrying a rescue tube and fins in his left hand.]