NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.

Thousands honor lifeguard who died saving swimmer

Hundreds of surfers paddled out on boards to remember a Southern California lifeguard who drowned a week ago while saving a swimmer caught in treacherous surf.

The Orange County Register reports that more than 2,000 people joined the paddle-out tribute Sunday in Newport Beach in memory of 32-year-old lifeguard Ben Carlson. Thousands more watched from the pier and beach.

Carlson died a week ago during a rescue after disappearing under 10- to 12-foot waves. He was the first lifeguard to die in the Orange County city known for beaches and waves that attract the attention of surfers worldwide.

WASHINGTON

Orbital’s rocket launches on mission to space station

Orbital Sciences’ Antares rocket lifted off Sunday, carrying a capsule of supplies to dock with the International Space Station on Wednesday.

The launch occurred as scheduled from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s eastern shore. It came after a delay of more than a month due to the test failure of a rocket engine for a later Antares flight, and after two one-day postponements due to severe weather.

This is Orbital’s second of eight cargo flights under a $1.9 billion NASA contract.

– From news service reports