Rescue team saves two fishers swept away at Santa Cruz County beach

Multiple government agencies helped save two adults swept away by waves at a Santa Cruz County beach.

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On Tuesday, two people were fishing on rocks near Panther Beach when waves carried them out to sea, Cal Fire wrote in a Facebook post. The agency was the first to arrive.

The Santa Cruz Fire Department and California State Parks Public Safety deployed rescue swimmers to pull the fishers from the water.

First-responders performed immediate medical care on the beach, Cal Fire said in the post. The agency then used its Firehawk helicopter to lift the two up a cliff for additional medical care. 

Stanford Life Flight, an air medical transport service, took one patient to the hospital, while an ambulance took the other. Their current status is still unknown, KSBW-TV reported. The fishers, a man and a woman in their 30s, are not Santa Cruz County residents. 

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In its Facebook post, Cal Fire reminded beachgoers never to face away from the ocean.

“Waves and currents can change quickly, especially near rocks and cliffs,” the agency wrote. “Stay well back from the water’s edge, watch conditions carefully, and follow posted warnings and safety guidance whenever you’re near the coast.”