OCEANSIDE (CNS) - Five people were injured, one seriously, when they were washed off the outer jetty outside Oceanside Harbor just before noon on Saturday, Oceanside Fire Department said.
"A total of eight people had hiked out on the rocks from the Camp Pendleton side of the harbor when a large wave knocked five of them over around 11:30 a.m.," Oceanside fire Battalion Chief Pete Lawrence said.
Lawrence said three of the five people swept off the jetty were injured.
"The most seriously injured, a late 40s active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, was quickly picked up by a passing jet ski and taken to the fuel
dock inside Oceanside Harbor," Lawrence said. "Once there, waiting firefighter paramedics, lifeguards and police officers stabilized the injured
airman and transported him by ambulance to the Oceanside Airport, where he was then taken the rest of the way to Scripps La Jolla."
Lawrence said Fire and Base Police units from Camp Pendleton handled the other two injuries, as well as escorting the uninjured members of the party to safety. Officers from the Oceanside Police Department and Lifeguards from
the Oceanside Fire Department stood by on a rescue boat inside the turning basin as they were escorted off the jetty.
Once emergency responders made it to safety, the outer jetty was closed by Camp Pendleton authorities to prevent additional incidents from occurring.
A high surf advisory remained in effect for San Diego County due to the potential for large waves.
The public was reminded to take notice of surf warnings before venturing too close to the ocean.
