Two men were rescued from the water Tuesday night after jumping off the end of the Manhattan Beach pier, Manhattan Beach Fire Chief Robert Espinosa said.
Around 9:30 p.m., MBFD Battalion Chief Ken Shuck responded to the call, likely from a bystander, and found the two men in the water, barely hanging onto the pylons under the pier.
“When he noticed there were two people in the water, that doubles our trouble,” Espinosa said.
After briefly conferring with the victims, Shuck tossed down floatation devices onto the water. However, they were out of reach for the two men, who said they were too exhausted to let go of the pylon and swim to the tubes.
Shortly, more MBFD units arrived, as did assistance from the Hermosa Beach Fire Department and Los Angeles County lifeguards.
“When additional people arrived on scene, a decision was made,” Espinosa said.
MBFD fire engineer/paramedic John Dulmage jumped into the water to bring the floatation devices to the two victims, and subsequently two Hermosa Beach lifeguards—one a swimmer, the other on a paddleboard—guided them along the pier until they were pulled out of the water.
One of the victims, believed to be 19-year-olds, was taken to a hospital due to “difficulties” while the other declined treatment, Espinosa said. Their motive for jumping is unknown, he added.
