LA JOLLA, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — La Jolla Backwash, shore pound and a spear fisherman too exhausted to continue.
The only hope: Two San Diego Lifeguards risking their lives and rolling the dice against being tossed against La Jolla’s jagged rocky coast.
At dusk on Friday, Lifeguard of the Year Patrick McVan and lifeguard Austin Mathis rushed to the rescue of two spearfishermen who were trapped in chaotic shore break.
“I don’t know what his ability is, so I’m ‘hey, we are going underwater here, just hold your breath as long as you can’ and I got tossed a couple of times, and I’m just bear hugging this guy as best as I can,” said McVan.
Lifeguard Austin Mathis watched the surf rolling through and called out protective orders, assisting McVan, who tied up his victim in a rescue tube. The other victim washed up on the rocks and crawled to safety.
“I’d be completely lying if I said that wasn’t a scary situation for a rescuer to get into. We are completely at the will of the sea at that point,” McVan admitted.
Then, like a diesel tugboat, McVan shifts into a low gear backstroke, fighting against the chaos of the shore pound as he dragged the young man in his 20s through the rough dark waters.
“He was a really good victim. He was doing everything we were asking of him, and that adrenaline was just pumping,” said McVan.
Good victim, but maybe not so good at taking advice… as McVan and Mathis had warned the two victims just before they went out at dusk to spear fish in a soupy mess.
“We are glad everyone ended up on the beach, it’s what we are trying to do at the end of the day,” said McVan.
The two victims suffered cuts and bruises but are expected to make a full recovery.
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