Newport Beach First Responders Awarded for Lifesaving Efforts

A Newport Beach Lifeguard moniters large waves at The Wedge in Newport Beach, Calif., on July 19, 2022. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—“We’re having some mechanical issues right now,” Huntington Beach Police Officer Nicholas Vella, 44, broadcasted over police radio from helicopter HB-1, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

“We’re going down, we’re going down,” he said.