Two young women stranded on a rock reef in Laguna Beach as the tide was rising were rescued by sheriff’s deputies and lifeguards early today, Saturday, July 2, authorities said.
Laguna Beach police requested the assistance of a sheriff’s helicopter with a hoist to extract the stranded beachgoers from Thousand Steps Beach about 7:55 a.m., sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Mark Stichter said. This morning’s high tide occurred about 9 a.m.
The helicopter lowered a member of the sheriff’s rescue team to assist one of the women, who had minor injuries to her extremities, Stichter said. She and her rescuer were hoisted by helicopter and taken to nearby Mission Hospital, he said.
Lifeguards swam out and were able to assist the other uninjured woman off the rock and back to the sand, Stichter said.
The women were not further identified.
