San Francisco Surfer Rescued Under Golden Gate Bridge

It's one of the most picturesque and quintessentially California surf spots, but Fort Point, situated under the Golden Gate Bridge on the edge of the San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean, isn't always as inviting as it looks. On Monday, February 17, an unidentified surfer reportedly broke his board while surfing there and was whisked out to sea. San Francisco Fire Department rescue crews and San Francisco Police rescue boats both responded to the emergency and were able to pluck the surfer out of the Pacific under the bridge.

"Luckily, and with the assistance of firefighters and police officers on rescue boats, rescue watercraft, and shore-deployed rescue swimmers, that surfer was safely assisted to shore. The surfer has no medical complaints, and will be okay," reported the San Francisco Fire Department on X.

One of the major challenges of surfing Fort Point is the dramatic tidal flow in and out of the San Francisco Bay. As the tide drops all of the water in the bay pushes out a three-mile wide opening to the Pacific Ocean and the outgoing current generally averages two to three miles per hour. That's a lot of water moving against you if you're dealing with a broken board situation.