Wave sweeps 74-year-old off jetty, CA cops say. Then son pulls him from water

A son pulled his 74-year-old father from rough water after a sneaker wave swept him off a jetty, California cops say.

The son called 911 shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, to report “his father had fallen into the water at the North Jetty in Fairhaven,” the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Deputies said they, along with rescuers from multiple agencies, responded and found the 74-year-old man had injuries to his head and face and “was breathing but nonresponsive.”

The man’s son told deputies that his father was standing on the jetty when a sneaker wave hit him, then swept him in the water, the sheriff’s office said.

The son said he managed to pull his father from the water and onto the jetty, according to deputies.

Rescuers on scene provided the man with medical care before the U.S. Coast Guard took over caring for the man, deputies said.

“The conditions for the rescue were extreme, and a great deal of bravery was shown by all personnel involved,” Sgt. Tony Gomes said in the release.

Coast Guard rescuers flew the man to a hospital, deputies said.

“Our thoughts are with the victim and his family during this difficult time, and we will remain hopeful for his full recovery,” the sheriff’s office said.

Sneaker waves can be deadly when they catch beachgoers off guard, as they “surge further up the beach than expected, overtaking the unaware,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Fairhaven is about a 300-mile drive northwest from Sacramento.