Heat Wave Sends Thousands To San Francisco Beaches
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- As the sun set over Ocean Beach in San Francisco Saturday evening, bonfires began popping up with groups gathered around them. Just hours earlier, the blistering heat brought crowds hoping to cool off to the coast.
Baker Beach was an equally hot attraction. The parking lot was full, and traffic was slow-going.
"I'm at the beach, corona is a lie," said Lindsay Ivory, who was hanging out at Ocean Beach. "It's nice to get out and enjoy nature, but there's a lot of people here so I made sure I had my mask in my bag and I'm prepared."
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Mayor London Breed is urging people to make smart decisions, only gather with people you live with, and keep your distance.
The San Francisco Fire Department was also reminding people of the risks of getting caught up in the surf. Firefighters rescued three teenagers from drowning near Sutro Baths Saturday.
"It's crazy crowded, like I've never seen it like this before," said San Francisco resident Angela Gonzales. "We tried to stay apart as much as we could so, definitely worth it though, we can't pass up good weather around here."
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Brian Castro lives nearby and chose to take a walk on the less crowded, southern part of Ocean Beach.
"I have mixed feelings. I think in a general sense I think it's okay to come to the beach, but I do feel like there are clusters that do get really crowded," he said. "Some people aren't wearing masks and there's choke points where people have to come in and out."
Meanwhile in Dolores Park in the Mission District, park rangers were handing out hundreds of masks.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said this week we are seeing a steady decline statewide in the number of hospitalizations and ICU admissions, but officials do not want people to let their guard down.