Man Rescued After Falling Off Boat 5 Mi. From Long Beach Shore

LONG BEACH, CA – The sheriff's department and U.S. Coast Guard personnel rescued a man who fell off his boat in the ocean about five miles off Long Beach on Tuesday. The Coast Guard received a report about 8:30 a.m. of a small boat moving in circles with no one operating it several miles off the coast of Long Beach, according to the Sheriff's Information Bureau.

The Coast Guard coordinated a rescue response with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which dispatched a helicopter. The helicopter crew soon located the boat and, using additional coordinates from the Coast Guard, found the boater treading water about five miles out, officials said.

"An LASD paramedic rescue deputy sheriff jumped in the water from Air Rescue 5," according to a department statement. "He ensured the victim's head remained above water until a Coast Guard boat arrived on scene."

Once aboard the boat, the victim was examined and found to have no injuries. He said he fell off his boat and had been treading water, using his flip flops, for about 20 minutes, according to the sheriff's department.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this report; Image via Shutterstock