Drowning, Three Others Rescued

On the evening of Sunday, May 14th, Ocean Beach patrol lifeguards responded to a report of several persons in distress in the water off of Stairwell 28 near Lincoln Way. Both lifeguards entered the water and found one adult and two juveniles in a strong rip current; all three were rescued and brought to safety with the assistance of local surfers. During the rescue, one of the victims reported that another adult was still in the water and had gone under. The lifeguards searched the area and found a man in three feet of water. He was pulled onto a surfboard and CPR was immediately begun. A supervisory ranger arrived on scene and asked that San Francisco Fire and Emergency Medical Services also respond. All four victims were taken to a local hospital. The man who was found underwater had entered the ocean after seeing the two juveniles in distress in a strong rip current. He later died at the hospital. The weather in San Francisco was hot, with temperatures in the upper 80’s, attracting a large number of beachgoers. At the same time, lifeguards reported at least seven strong rip currents along the four mile stretch of beach.