VIDEO: Dramatic Early Morning Water Rescue In San Francisco's Presidio
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- San Francisco fire rescue swimmers, braving rocks and pounding surf, pulled a trapped man to safety early Wednesday morning in the waters off the Presidio in a dramatic rescue captured on video.
San Francisco Fire PIO Jonathan Baxter said a 911 call came in at around 1:30 a.m. of as many as four people trapped on the rocks below a cliff in the waters off Crosby Battery in San Francisco Presidio.
Hikers told 911 operators they were hearing someone yelling for help from a cliff along the shore.
UPDATE it has been determined we only have 1 adult missing who has just been rescued. pic.twitter.com/jexv256bjg
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) October 21, 2020
Emergency and water rescue teams, U.S. Park Police and a Coast Guard helicopter were dispatched to the scene and using thermal technology located a man clinging to the cliffs being pounded by the heavy surf.
Baxter said the confusion how many people were trapped was the result of people on the beach calling out to him.
"There were some individuals...3-4 individuals who all made 911 calls and were calling out to the (trapped) individual," he said.
Rescue swimmers were dispatched and able to pull the individual to a rescue boat with paramedics aboard around 5:15 a.m. The individual's condition was not immediately known.
He was taken to the hospital for treatment of his undisclosed injuries.