People Pack Beaches During Heat Wave

County fire lifeguard captains along the beaches in Los Angeles County on Sunday said they seen an uptick in the number of rescues for patrons wanting to escape the heat by hitting the surf and sand.

"We've got a large crowd today and lot of people coming here to cool off,'' said County Lifeguard Capt. Angus Alexander, who patrols Santa Monica and Venice beaches.

"And it's 84-degrees-in-the-shade heat with burning-across-your-feet sand," Alexander said.

County Lifeguard Capt. Julio Rodriguez, who patrols Playa Del Rey to San Pedro, said his area is experiencing a "moderately heavy crowd" today.

"We've had several rescues in the Hermosa Beach area," Rodriguez said. "It's a slightly higher surf than last week. The majority of the rescues are people getting stuck in the rip currents."

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Jeff Horn, who patrols Cabrillo Beach said it's a bit warmer in his area, but not extremely hot.

Zuma appears to be bit cooler with the air temperature at 71 degrees and the water temperature at 66 degrees, said County Lifeguard Capt. Merrill Riley.

"It's decent crowd. We've had a handful of rescues attributed to the rip current -- standard rescues," Riley said. "It's a good Sunday crowd."