OC Lifeguard Slams Into Pier During Rescue Jump (Watch)

“I was right next to him when it happened,” said one witness. “He had the orange buoy that was strapped to his wrist. As he tried to jump, the orange buoy got caught on the railing, and he hung for a few seconds. It was pretty scary.”

Another witness who captured the video recounted: “He dived in full force, and he just swung and hit the pole really hard. I was like, ‘Oh my god. Hopefully he’s still conscious.’”

Luckily, the lifeguard was all good. After his buoy got untangled, he went on to finish his job and rescue the swimmer in trouble. The victim, apparently, had jumped or fallen off the pier minutes prior. And that lifeguard sprang into action for the rescue.

Previously, regarding the Seal Beach Lifeguards, one of their own suffered a separate and much more serious freak accident. On June 27th, Isaiah Osorio was instructing the Junior Lifeguards program when a wave crashed down on him while he was on a paddleboard. He hit his head on the seafloor, resulting in a spinal cord injury. It’s unclear whether or not Osorio will walk again.

To support Osorio, family and friends have created a GoFundMe account, here’s the latest update:

“Isaiah remains hospitalized after his injury. We are overwhelmed by the incredible support and generosity you’ve shown — it is already helping to ease the heavy burden on Isaiah and his family. We’ll continue to share updates as he navigates this challenging new chapter with strength and determination. Thank you for the love and support.”