Santa Barbara County firefighters rescued a kayak fisherman from Gaviota Beach on Friday.
At 11:23 a.m. crews arrived at the area and learned a 72-year-old male was fishing from a kayak and fell overboard.
Even through he was wearing a life jacket he was unable to get back onto the kayak and had been in the water for approximately two hours. A bystander saw the man waving and called 9-1-1.
Two firefighters on a paddleboards swam to the man who was approximately 200-feet from the shoreline.
The man was medically assessed and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital by ground ambulance with mild hypothermia.
Ocean Rescue Gaviota Beach Update: Male was approximately 200’ off shore, medically assessed, and transported to SBCH by ambulance for mild hypothermia. pic.twitter.com/xXJxOCTUZU
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) May 10, 2024
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Thank goodness for rescue teams! Getting back into a kayak rigged for fishing is tough enough for someone in their prime. Glad someone saw him and called!
Oh, lucky man…
Good job beach bystander and Fire Dept., the Ocean plays for keeps.