The surfer's cause of death has not been disclosed
Credit: SFFD/x
NEED TO KNOW
- A surfer was found face down, unconscious and not breathing off the coast of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on Thursday, May 28
- Lifeguards safely brought the surfer to shore before the person was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition
- The surfer succumbed to their injuries, but their cause of death has not been disclosed
A surfer died after being rescued from the coast of San Francisco on Thursday, May 28.
The San Francisco Fire Department was alerted to a surfer in distress at the city's Ocean Beach around 1:20 p.m. local time, the fire department said in a news release. Three on-duty lifeguards and an off-duty National Park Service (NPS) lifeguard spotted the unidentified surfer "waving their hands above [their] head—a recognized sign of distress—just outside the surf line," the fire department said.
The lifeguards swam to the surfer, who was face down, unconscious and not breathing. They administered life-saving measures and brought the victim back to the shoreline.
Credit: SFFD/x
The SFFD paramedics arrived at the scene shortly after and provided advanced life support care. The surfer was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition.
"The San Francisco Fire Department commended the quick actions of both the off-duty and on-duty ocean patrol lifeguards, as well as the early 911 callers, emphasizing their essential role in rescuing the surfer," fire officials said.
The surfer was pronounced dead at the hospital later that afternoon, SFFD Capt. Jonathan Baxter told The San Francisco Chronicle. The cause of death has not been shared.
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PEOPLE reached out to the San Francisco Fire Department for comment.
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