Dec 10, 2021
The San Francisco Fire Department and other authorities responded to a report of a defensive swimmer on December 10, 2021.
San Francisco Fire Department
A man died after being rescued from the cold waters near San Francisco’s Lands End Thursday, fire departments said.
The San Francisco Fire Department said a passerby swam just before 3 p.m. to rescue a man struggling in the water near Eagle’s Point and called for help. Bystanders called 911 and the fire brigade and naval units responded with lifeboats and located the victim.
Paramedic lifeguards transported the victim from the rocky shoreline to a paramedic lifeboat and emergency care was provided, the department said
“Unfortunately, the victim was declared dead,” said the fire brigade. “It is not known how or why this person was in the water.”
The San Francisco Fire Department and other authorities responded to a report of a defensive swimmer on December 10, 2021.
San Francisco Fire Department
The fire department didn’t specifically comment on the cause of death, but the ocean off San Francisco can be deadly, especially in winter when temperatures drop into the 1950s.
While winter is still around the corner, the buoy off San Francisco has recorded water temperatures of 54 degrees in the last few days.
“The water temperatures are currently in the mid-50s – that, together with the cooler air temperatures, can also accelerate hypothermia,” said a spokesman for the US Coast Guard.
Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she began her career in the news at UC Berkeley’s Daily Californian newspaper, majoring in English literature. She has been with SFGATE for more than 10 years. You can email her at araff@sfgate.com.
