In a dramatic scene in Ocean Beach on Saturday, San Diego lifeguards and surfers helped rescue more than 20 people who were in the water, on a jetty or trapped inside a suspected smuggling boat.
“There were numerous rescues performed by local surfers,” lifeguard Lt. Rick Romero said. “They were the first to come in and lend a helping hand with their surfboards. Lifeguards got there pretty quickly, and we started rescuing people right and left.”
Romero was at the scene and said the incident occurred when a wave struck and capsized a 25-foot cabin cruiser near the foot of Saratoga Avenue around 7:40 a.m.
A lifeguard witnessed the boat capsizing, and several people also called 911, he said.
San Diego lifeguards and surfers helped rescue more than 20 people that came from a suspected smuggling boat in Ocean Beach on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (ONSCENE.TV)
Lifeguards swam out on paddle boards and used rescue boats to retrieve people from the water. When the boat washed closer to shore, lifeguards were able to break windows and rescue two people trapped inside the cabin. Romero said a lifeguard performed CPR on one person who was unconscious.
Two people from the boat washed up on Little Rock Jetty just to the north of the incident and were rescued by lifeguards, Romero said.
Nine people were taken to the hospital. Romero said it is not known if anyone died in the incident.
San Diego lifeguards and surfers helped rescue more than 20 people that came from a suspected smuggling boat in Ocean Beach on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (ONSCENE.TV)
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According to Romero, there wasn’t an accurate count of how many people were on the boat, but he estimates it was between 20 and 30 people.
Some people on the boat walked onto the beach from the water on their own, and those who were not transported to a hospital walked away.
Romero said no arrests were made and no federal officers were at the scene.
