A young man was in critical condition Tuesday after he fell off a San Francisco pier while collecting cans and became submerged underwater, San Francisco Fire Department officials said.
A rescue effort by first responders found him 16 feet underwater. Officials said he was submerged for 46 minutes.
Rescue teams responded to reports of a man having trouble staying afloat after falling off the pier at Torpedo Wharf near the Golden Gate Bridge. Fire officials said the victim had been collecting cans at around 10:04 a.m. when he fell in the water.
The man was retrieved from the water at around 10:50 a.m. by a rescue team including a Coast Guard helicopter, rescue swimmers from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and fire department divers.
UPDATE: 1 ADULT WAS RESCUED 16 FEET UNDERWATER BY #SFFD and @GGNRANPSAlerts RESCUE SWIMMERS AND DIVERS- #SFFDEMS PERFORMED ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT, AND THE VICTIM HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION https://t.co/cvsUT836eE pic.twitter.com/qk91DzuFbZ
— SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARTMENT MEDIA (@SFFDPIO) May 16, 2023
The man was found “clinically dead” at the scene with no pulse, officials said. First responders made life-saving efforts, before transferring him to a hospital in critical condition.
The man is in critical condition “with pulses” in the Intensive Care Unit at a local hospital according to fire officials on Wednesday.