Curry County Aquatic Safety

06/01/2026

Junior Lifeguard Instructor Highlight 🌊🛟

Shannon Ingram has been an instructor with the program since 2021, our first year of JG’s. She was instrumental in the development of the program bringing her experience from the North Coast Junior Lifeguard Program. Shannon works as a Lifeguard II for California State Parks, serving for the North Coast Sector. She has been serving in that position for 8 years.
She is excited for this season to see new and returning JG’s and instructors excel in the conditions given. Shannon says “seeing the JG’s feel good for their accomplishments in and out of the water is pretty amazing, especially when they push themselves in rougher conditions”. When she is not on duty as a Lifeguard she can be found surfing, swimming, or coaching volleyball.

05/28/2026

A long period swell is building throughout the day. The US National Weather Service Medford Oregon has issued a moderate warning for sneaker waves.

There is a moderate risk for sneaker waves along the southern Oregon beaches Wednesday evening through Thursday night. Sneaker waves are waves that run up on beaches significantly farther than other waves and can surprise beachgoers. They can be knocked down and pulled into the ocean by these waves resulting in injury or drowning. Sneaker waves are very powerful and can move logs and other debris, potentially crushing or trapping unsuspecting people. For those at the beach, never turn your back on the ocean! Keep your distance from the waves and avoid climbing on rocks, jetties or logs when there is an increased threat of sneaker waves. If you see someone swept into the ocean, do not swim in after them! Call 911 and keep an eye on them until help arrives.

05/22/2026

As we head into the busy holiday weekend with a solid looking forecast through Monday for the southern Oregon coast, we expect an uptick in activity along our waterways and shorelines. We want to highlight some safety tips that will help reduce the risk of injury or incident while recreating on or near the water. Everyone have a fantastic and safe weekend!



Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast Discover Port OrfordPort of Port Orford Port Of Gold Beach Gold Beach Visitor Center City of Brookings, Oregon Oregon's Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston Southern Oregon Coast The Oregon Coast Oregon State Parks Oregon State Marine Board United States Lifesaving Association

05/21/2026

Curry County Aquatic Safety recently participated in the first ever Responder Roundup put on by The Lifeguard Project, combining hundreds of lifeguards, EMS crews, and firefighters. The event took place in San Luis Obispo County.
The two day high-fidelity drowning response course focused on best-practice drowning protocols, with lectures from emergency medicine physicians, and hands on practice covered on the first day. The program held the second day at Morro Bay on the beach focusing on continuum of care, with an ocean rescue turning into a lifeguard led resuscitation, passed off to an ambulance crew, and packaged for a flight team.
Curry County Aquatic Safety had the opportunity to work with lifeguard agencies from around the world, spanning the entire West Coast down to Central America. Hands on topics included rescue breaths, airway management and intubation, and oxygen administration specific to drowning emergencies. A huge thank you to the for providing this amazing opportunity!

05/16/2026

Junior Lifeguard Instructor Highlight 🌊🛟

Morgan Perlmuter began instructing with the Curry County Junior Lifeguard Program in 2023. She started as a Junior Lifeguard when she was 8 years old and became a cadet with the LA County Junior Lifeguard Program when she was 15. When she was 16, she became a California State Park Lifeguard and competed for the US Lifesaving Team in Australia. Morgan has worked as a California State Park Lifeguard at Point Mugu for the last six years and most recently is the assistant pool manager and swim team coach for the Brookings Pool. Morgan is looking forward to everyone challenging themselves in events and doing relays this summer!

05/09/2026

Junior Lifeguard Instructor Highlight 🌊🛟

With our Junior Lifeguard sessions rapidly approaching, we want to introduce our superb team who are making it all happen!

Declan Debler has been instructing with the Junior Lifeguard program since 2022. He started as a California State Parks Lifeguard and moved his way into the US Coast Guard being stationed at Station Chetco River as a Coxswain. Most recently Declan works for the program as an Aquatic Safety Officer - Lifeguard I and is working his way through his Paramedic certification. Declan likes long paddles, local seafood, and creating new iron challenges for Junior lifeguards and instructors. He is looking forward to working with the Aids division this year to further their JG skills!

05/03/2026

Happy Sunday! The US National Weather Service Medford Oregon has issued a warning for a moderate risk of sneaker waves along the southern Oregon coast from a long period swell building over a smaller, shorter period swell throughout the day.


Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast City of Brookings, Oregon Gold Beach Visitor Center Port of Port Orford Port Of Gold Beach Discover Port Orford Oregon's Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston The Oregon Coast Oregon State Parks

04/17/2026

Recently, the program was awarded grant funding from the The Oregon Coast, SOWIB - Southwestern Oregon Workforce Investment Board, and the The Ford Family Foundation aimed at building our capacity. This funding has allowed us to build our workforce and further our mission to provide public safety through outreach, education, and response to those recreating and visiting along our waterways and shorelines. It also allows us to expand on our workforce development through our Junior Lifeguard Program and help build our community resilience with our community engagement opportunities. A huge thank you to these organizations for investing in our work and community.

04/08/2026

Thank you for the great couple of days learning about our shorelines and waterways and how to stay safe and have fun around them!

These essential in-school educational opportunities are made possible by our partnership with the Oregon State Marine Board.

03/20/2026

It’s officially spring! Spring break for most Oregon Schools kicks off this weekend with many states across the country in the same pattern. As you visit our coast and waterways, here are a few tips to keep in my mind:

Know before you go! - Always check the conditions - Wave heights and river levels can change dramatically in a short period of time depending on weather conditions! The North Pacific is still very active! 🌊🌦️

Know your limits! - Are you prepared for the conditions? River temps are still very cold - 50* F 🥶 and flows are still moving quickly. Are you wearing your life jacket? 🙌🏼 Wave heights, rip currents, shoreline dynamics, and marine life are all changing factors along our coast. Do you know how to deal with them? 🏄‍♂️

Stay on trail! - Much of the southern Oregon Coast trail has many “spur trails” formed over time from continuous use. These trails can be extremely dangerous! If it looks sketchy, it is because it is! stay off it please. 🙏

Ask a Lifeguard - If you see us out there, we are there to help you navigate and answer any questions about the area.



Oregon's Wild Rivers Coast Discover Port Orford Gold Beach Visitor Center City of Brookings, Oregon Port Of Gold Beach Port of Port Orford Oregon's Adventure Coast: Coos Bay, North Bend, Charleston The Oregon Coast Oregon State Parks Oregon State Marine Board