HONORING THE LEGACY OF BEN CARLSON, THE FALLEN NEWPORT BEACH HERO.
On July 6th, 2014, Ben Carlson gave his life to help out a distressed swimmer on a busy fourth of July weekend. He was the first and only lifeguard to pass away on duty since the start of the Newport Beach Lifeguards in 1923. Ben had just turned 32 and had proudly served as a Newport Beach Lifeguard for over 15 years. He was a lover of the ocean and an accomplished and dedicated waterman having surfed big waves around the world and explored the beaches on distant shores.
Ben's story continues to live on through the Ben Carlson Memorial Scholarship Foundation. The Foundation specializes in providing annual scholarships, serving under-resourced children and most importantly working to develop and improve systems to protect lifeguards and the public from a wonderful, but non-forgiving ocean. Along with the foundation, there is a memorial paddle every year to honor Ben, spanning from Catalina to the shore of Newport.
The Ben Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation was formed to leverage Ben Carlson's legacy through doing positive work in his memory. Taking into consideration the things that truly mattered to Ben, your donations from purchasing these products will proudly support the following causes as the BCMSF Board of Advisors decides.
