Screams for help alert rescuers to two caught in high surf, California officials say

Screams for help led rescuers to two people caught in high surf, California police said.

Rescuers were alerted to a man and woman stuck in high water Wednesday, March 2, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said. People heard yelling for help and called dispatchers.

When rescuers arrived, the surf was so high that the lifeguards couldn’t use a rescue boat, according to the fire department. The lifeguards swam the man and woman to a nearby cove.

Crews then pulled the two from the water and onto a cliff, rescuers said.

Both people were taken to the hospital for observation, but they were not injured.

“They reported to lifeguards that they came from Mexico on a personal watercraft and were left in the ocean to swim to shore,” rescuers said. “Federal law enforcement was notified.”

This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Screams for help alert rescuers to two caught in high surf, California officials say."