During a season of deadly ocean conditions in California, luckily this man was reached in time. Photo: Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department//Instagram
Footage from the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department shows a shirtless man hanging onto a small rock island offshore. Authorities responded with a helicopter, bringing him safely back to shore.
The incident occurred near Rocky Point, south of Stewarts Point State Marine Conservation Area in Sonoma County, California. The sheriff’s department reported that the man was stranded 100 yards from the coast around 11:40 a.m on September 28, and it appeared that he had been swimming. In videos posted of the rescue, the man was wearing shorts and shoes, but no shirt.
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He was treated for exposure to the cold water — currently an unseasonably warm 62 degrees in Sonoma County — and released. However, oddly, another report came in about two men also stranded on a rock in the area. In the video, you can see two men on a higher rock watching the man get carried away.
The helicopter returned to rescue the other two men, but they waved off the rescue, indicating that they were not in distress.
In this case, luckily the man was saved in time. It’s been a deadly year for California oceangoers, with several drownings in Orange and Santa Cruz counties.
