Sailors from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach Rescue Surfer

From the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach:

A harbor patrol boat crew from Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach rescued a local surfer during extremely heavy wave conditions off the coast today.

While on patrol escorting a ship into Anaheim Bay, the security sailors observed a person in distress near the entrance of the harbor breakwater.

“I couldn’t believe that there was someone in the water way out there,” said Master-at-arms Second Class Devin Terry.

A hurricane off the coast of Mexico had created much higher than normal swells of over twelve feet, high surf, and dangerous rip currents throughout the southern California coastal region.

“It was the worst I’ve experienced in my 10 years in the Navy,” said Master-at-arms Second Class Robert Craven, “It was just horrible out there.”

The sailors carefully maneuvered their boat near the surfer and quickly determined that he needed help.

“He said that he had been stuck there for over an hour and a half, fighting the water,” said Craven.

The surfer, a 30-year-old man from Lawndale, was picked up and later transferred to an Orange County Sheriff’s Department patrol boat for the trip back to dry land. The Navy security boat crew meanwhile resumed their patrol.

“He was really thankful, and really happy to get out of the water,” said Terry.

PHOTO A Naval security boat file photo from the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.