ALAMEDA, Calif.- Two men were rescued and one died while swimming off of Sandy Beach in Rio Vista, Calif. August 2, 2011.
One man was pulled from the water and brought safely ashore by the Coast Guard rescue boatcrew. The second man was rescued by the Montezuma Fire Department and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. Search and rescue crews scoured the area for the third swimmer for several hours before his body was recovered by divers near the dock where he was last seen.
The case began at approximately 4:56 p.m. when the Coast Guard received a report that three swimmers, in their mid-thirties, were struggling in the water. Coast Guard Sector San Francisco then launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station San Francisco and a 25-foot response boat from Station Rio Vista to the scene.
The Coast Guard would like to stress the importance of swimming to your capabilities and always using the buddy system. Inexperienced swimmers should always wear a life jacket when recreating on or around the water. All beach goers should swim only in posted swim areas and, whenever possible, where a life guard is on duty.
