Orange County lifeguards on high alert as big waves pose real risk to beachgoers

Several inches of sand fill the front row of Alisa Beach's parking lot after surf coupled with high tides pounded the Orange County shore.

Sets up to 8 feet have been crashing on a narrow stretch of the beach, which is close to the spot where a 5-year-old girl drowned last month after a big wave pulled her into the ocean.

Lifeguards were on high alert on Thursday, telling parents and children playing in the water to move away from breaking waves. Aliso Beach has a steep drop-off near the shoreline, where several kids took the warnings seriously. 

"It's dangerous," beachgoer Maddox Lawrence said. "If it touches your knees, you go back a little."

Overhead swells are creating some nervous moments for people living along the Alamitos Bay peninsula in Long Beach after sections of the high berms that protected nearby homes were breached as the high tide moved in. The waves also broke down the plywood wall along the boardwalk.

Beach crews are continuously reinforcing the berm to keep the water out of homes and alleys. 

Orange County's high surf advisory and high rip current risk continues through Saturday. Lifeguards advise people to stay out of the water unless they are experienced and know their limits.