Annual Paddle Raises Money In Honor Of Fallen Lifeguard Ben Carlson

NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA) — Dozens of extreme athletes took to the waters this weekend to honor fallen lifeguard Ben Carlson by paddling the 30 miles from Catalina Island to Newport Beach and raising money in the process.

"That moment that you push the board off the shore, that for me was the moment of commitment," John Moore of the Ben Carlson Foundation said. "There was no turning back. There was no getting on a boat."

Moore — a lifeguard who made the decision to paddle in honor of his friend and former colleague the day before — joined 32 other athletes in the challenge. Carefully watched by a lead boat, it took the group nearly nine hours to make it the 30 miles. And when they got there, the exhausted paddlers were met with cheers and hugs.

But Moore said that 12 miles before reaching the pier, he hit a wall.

"When you dig deep and you know what you're doing it for — and you're doing it to honor Ben and his legacy — it means we can move forward with all of the scholarships and the beach safety campaigns we have," he said.

The paddle is now the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Ben Carlson Memorial and Scholarship Foundation. This year, the organization got an unexpected wave of support — the group's donations nearly doubled to more than $60,000. The money will be used to give scholarships to eligible students with experience as lifeguards and to create water safety programs.

But beyond that, Moore hopes the paddle keeps Carlson's memory alive and reminds people that there are hundreds of lifeguards willing to do the same.

"At the end of the day, there are 16-year-old to 50-year-old men and women sitting in lifeguard towers willing to make a sacrifice at any given moment," Moore said.

Visit the Ben Carlson Foundation website for more information.