A tourist swimming with his 12-year-old granddaughter drowned Thursday at a section of beach in northern Carlsbad where residents have complained there are no lifeguards.

Bystanders saw the man struggling in the water about 3 p.m., and an off-duty Anaheim firefighter pulled him to shore, called 911 and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to several reports.

State lifeguards and Carlsbad Fire Department paramedics arrived about the same time to help, officials said. They took him to a hospital, while continuing resuscitation efforts, but the man could not be revived.

The county Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim Friday as Robert Durband, 72, of St. Paul, Minn., who was at the beach with his wife and family. An official cause of death had not been determined, so it’s possible a medical condition could have been a factor.


The girl reportedly told emergency workers that her grandfather was swept off his feet by a wave and couldn’t stand back up in the water.

The incident occurred near the Army and Navy Academy on less than a mile of city beach between the end of the state beach and Carlsbad’s border with Oceanside. Carlsbad has never posted lifeguards there or anywhere along its shoreline, which is mostly patrolled by state lifeguards.

The northern beach, however, falls outside the roughly six-mile stretch of coastline controlled by the California Parks and Recreation Department, though state lifeguards will respond to emergencies there. Most of the area above the mean high-tide line is private property occupied by homes, hotels and the academy, a military boarding school.

All the stairways that lead to the beach are posted with signs that state “No lifeguards on duty.”


Carlsbad resident Andy Weissenberger told the City Council at its meeting July 12 that dozens of rescues and a near-drowning over the July Fourth weekend were proof that the area needs lifeguards. The council asked staffers to look into the situation and return with a report.

Weissenberger, a retired Orange County firefighter and lifeguard, said Friday he’s pleased the city is looking at the problem, but a change needs to happen immediately.

“It takes (lifeguards) down there ... walking the beach and advising people” to make the area safe, Weissenberger said.

People from out of town, and even locals unfamiliar with the beach, don’t know that the area has one of the most dangerous rip tides in North County, he said. Surfers and regular beachgoers often make rescues that are never reported, he said.


“There are so many stories that you just don’t hear about,” he said.

Carlsbad, unlike its coastal neighbors Oceanside and Encinitas, does not have its own marine safety department, although the Carlsbad Fire Department provides emergency medical service to all the state beaches within the city.

An overview of the situation and possible ways to improve the safety will be presented at an upcoming council meeting, Fire Chief Mike Davis said Friday.

Lifeguard towers are the obvious answer, he said, but an array of options will be presented.


State lifeguards have done “a great job of helping us” in that area, Davis said, adding that he’s seen lifeguard vehicles parked near the rip tide to warn people away.

Anyone swimming in the ocean should know their limits and use caution, he said.

“You should always swim in front of a staffed lifeguard tower,” Davis said. “That’s our best safety, and it’s not just here, it’s at any beach in the world.

“You have to know and understand the ocean,” he said. “If you are not a strong swimmer, if you question your ability based on what you see, based on the waves, or if you’ve been drinking, don’t go in the water.”


philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com