Oceanside CA— This morning, July 3, 2021 at approximately 2:45am, Oceanside Fire Department units responded to Buccaneer Beach for a reported trapped victim. On arrival Engine 212 (E212) found a male in his 40s trapped in the large boulders at the South end of the beach. A bystander said he had heard someone yelling for help for several minutes and eventually was able to locate the victim stuck in the boulders.

The victim had slipped and fell into a gap in the boulders and was stuck. The bystander attempted to assist the victim for an unknown period of time before 9-1-1 was called. E212 arrived and quickly upgraded the incident to a technical rescue. With the tide coming in, time was of the essence as crews worked to release the victim from the rocks. Waves started to crash over the rescuers and the victim became submerged in water. OPD was able to provide a SCUBA tank and regulator to allow the victim to breath with the incoming waves.
The victim eventually lost consciousness and was unable to maintain the SCUBA regulator in his mouth. Fortunately, the rescue crews were able to secure webbing around the victim and pull him out, approximately 45 minutes after E212’s arrival. Once out of the rocks, Oceanside Firefighter/Paramedics were able to revive the victim, saving the mans life, and transported him to Scripps La Jolla for evaluation.
Firefighters were completely soaked by the crashing waves and time was running out with the incoming tide. Great teamwork and reliance on training helped produce a successful outcome.
The Oceanside Fire Department would like to remind the public that walking or playing on the large rock “walls” along our beaches is dangerous and people should refrain from doing so.
We wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July and please remember all fireworks are illegal.