An intoxicated Hawthorne man was rescued by two bodysurfers after he jumped off the Manhattan Beach Pier Saturday, according to officials.
Police and fire personnel responded at roughly 11 p.m. to a report of the 21-year-old man going over the south side of the pier into dark waters, which, according to L.A. County Lifeguard Officials, measured 62 degrees.
“He’s lucky the surfers were there,” said Manhattan Beach Interim Fire Chief Ken Shuck. “It was pitch dark and that’s a problem when people get into the water, get in trouble and nobody can see them. If they weren’t there, this could have been terrible.”
The unidentified bodysurfers assisted the man to shore, where fire personnel took over.
Paramedics transported the man to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
In December, Manhattan Beach Police Detective Sgt. Brian Brown rescued two, intoxicated, 23-year-old Ontario women who jumped off the pier into frigid, choppy waters. In February, the combined efforts of local authorities saved two intoxicated off-duty Inglewood police officers caught in a strong rip current after jumping from the pier.
“The alcohol clouds their judgment,” Shuck said. “And as the water gets colder and rougher, they get caught in the current.”
“Over the years, it seems to be a rite of passage,” he added. “People get too much alcohol and run to the pier and jump off.” ER
