Officials Hold Flag Ceremony For Late Santa Monica Lifeguard Traeger

SANTA MONICA, CA — Loved ones and Los Angeles County lifeguards will honor late ocean lifeguard Derek Traeger Tuesday morning with a flag ceremony.

The 28-year-old died on Aug. 14 in a motorcycle collision after six years with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division, authorities said.

Tuesday's flag ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. and can be watched live online using this link.

Over 100 colleagues and loved ones also participated in a paddle out on Aug. 21 at Royal Palms Beach in San Pedro to honor the young and beloved lifeguard.

Traeger was fatally struck by a vehicle on the northbound San Diego (405) Freeway near Artesia Boulevard in Torrance, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Traeger is remembered by loved ones as a passionate artist and lifeguard who had a positive influence on his colleagues. He was most recently working on beaches in Santa Monica North, according to LACoFD.

"OL Traeger understood better than most what it means to wear the red trunks. His passion for life, art, the ocean, and his lifeguard family was evident in every moment he lived," the department said.