Bodyboarder crashes headfirst into rock as waves lash California coast, officials say

Two surfers rescued a bodyboarder on Sunday night after the victim crashed headfirst into a rock, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.

The bodyboarder “ran into a large rock, becoming unconscious and submerged underwater” at Fort Point, San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Jonathan Baxter said, according to SFGate.

One of the surfers who rescued the victim was an off-duty paramedic who performed CPR, and the two pulled him from the water, the publication reported.

The surfers “effected a heroic rescue in the danger zone area putting their lives at risk,” Baxter said, according to CBS San Francisco.

The victim was treated at a local trauma center after paramedics arrived, the station reported.

As of Sunday evening, the victim was in critical condition, Baxter told McClatchy News.

How quickly the surfers responded may have made a difference in the rescue, the San Francisco Fire Department said, according to KGO.

“The CPR being administered right away is really a positive thing, and under incredibly adverse conditions. Substantial swell out there, whitewater, rocks. These gentlemen all did a wonderful, a great thing tonight,” Battalion Chief Mike Maloney said, according to the station.

There is a high surf advisory in effect until Monday evening for Northern California beaches, which are projected to see breaking waves of 16 to 20 feet and up to 25 feet locally, according to the National Weather Service.

This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Bodyboarder crashes headfirst into rock as waves lash California coast, officials say."