Bystanders rescue unresponsive man at Russian River
Bystanders, police officers, firefighters and paramedics all came together to rescue a man swimming at a popular Russian River beach in Guerneville.
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On Monday, bystanders pulled an unresponsive man out of the water; he had been swept over the temporary dam at Johnson’s Beach, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office received a call around 2 p.m. and arrived on the scene within one minute.
Officers helped perform lifesaving efforts until Sonoma County Fire District firefighters arrived less than three minutes later. By 2:11 p.m., the patient was being taken to a hospital in Santa Rosa.
First responders continued lifesaving efforts during the 20-minute ride to the hospital.
The Sonoma County Fire District declined to comment further on the person’s care once in the ambulance. The patient is expected to recover.
“This outcome is a testament to the importance of immediate action and seamless teamwork,” the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office wrote. “From the bystanders who didn’t hesitate to begin CPR, to the deputies, firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, and hospital staff who each played a critical role, every link in the chain of survival mattered.”
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Emily Fuller, spokesperson for the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office, told SFGATE that her office sees an increase in rescues during the peak of the summer season, when there are more out-of-town visitors. The current at the beach isn’t strong, and the river’s water levels are currently low.
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“They don’t know the river super well, and don’t realize that it does have a pretty heavy current that you can’t necessarily see from the surface,” Fuller said.
Fuller said the sheriff’s office recommends visitors wear a life jacket, avoid drinking alcohol and avoid getting heat exhaustion.
Johnson’s Beach closes in September.
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