Lifeguard, fire crews rescue swimmer near Oceanside Pier

Oceanside lifeguards have rescued a swimmer who was sent to the hospital in critical condition.

Lifeguards, along with Oceanside firefighters and police, responded just after 4:20 p.m. Friday near 600 The Strand North, according to a news release from the Oceanside Fire Department. Family members on the beach pointed out the area where the swimmer had last been seen.

Lifeguards in rescue watercraft and a boat, joined by fire units, began an extensive search along the shoreline and in the water. Authorities sought air support from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department helicopter unit, ASTREA, which ultimately located the missing swimmer just south of Oceanside Pier.

The lifeguard and fire units pulled the swimmer from the water. The patient required “advanced life support care on scene,” officials said, before being taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

The fire department offered no other details about the swimmer, including age or gender.