Two Drown in Incidents off Two Beaches

Two men died in separate drowning incidents off Orange County beaches over the Fourth of July weekend, authorities said Monday.

Theodore Payton, 43, of Fontana, was pulled from the surf at Laguna Niguel’s Salt Creek Beach about 3:40 p.m. Sunday, according to a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner’s Department.

Payton was taken to South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach, where he was pronounced dead, the spokesman said.

Rodney Dale Smith, 37, of Yorba Linda, was pronounced dead at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach after he was pulled from the water about 12:40 p.m. Sunday at Corona del Mar State Beach, Newport Beach Police Lt. Tim Newman said.

Witnesses told police that Smith had been seen swimming alone about 500 yards from shore and had told another swimmer that “everything was going OK,” Newman said.

A few minutes later, however, a swimmer reportedly felt something nudge him and found Smith floating just beneath the surface.

Newman said Newport Beach municipal lifeguard Leighton Smith and a physician, Dr. Glenn Ocker of Upland, who was on the beach at the time, attempted to resuscitate Smith before he was transported to the hospital.

Officials said autopsies are pending.