A 12-year-old junior lifeguard in Oceanside reportedly played a key role in responding to a boat that capsized while leaving the harbor Sunday. Footage posted on social media from Surfline’s beach camera showed a 25-foot vessel navigating the surf as it came out of the harbor, ultimately capsizing as it was hit by a wave at around 10:30 a.m. A local social media news feed known as @newsflashmediasd, however, shared thorough details about the harrowing effort that couldn’t be seen in the video footage.
According to a longer video posted to YouTube on Monday, Oceanside lifeguards were able to respond to the accident within just 30 seconds and pull the boaters to safety.
“The fast response and teamwork prevented a potential tragedy,” they wrote.
As mentioned, one of the first people on the scene was a young junior lifeguard member.
“One of the assisting boats carried a 12-year-old Oceanside Junior Lifeguard, a four-year participant in the city’s summer program, who played an impressive role in coordinating the private rescue response,” officials said. “He witnessed the vessel capsize and quickly waved down a nearby Jet Ski.”
Newsflashmediasd added that “While going back to the lifeguard dock, the boy provided first aid to a patient with a leg injury, applying gauze and tape to control the bleeding. When another patient began shivering, he selflessly offered his own clothing to keep her warm.”
The response earned praise from local lifeguard Sergeant Lola Swank, who said, “This incident showcases exactly what the Junior Lifeguard Program is all about. Our youth learn not only lifesaving skills but also how to stay calm, think critically, and help others in moments of crisis. We couldn’t be more proud to see one of our Junior Lifeguards put those lessons into action in a real-life rescue.”
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