A kayaker was pulled from the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay Thursday afternoon after his kayak overturned near the Ferry Building, with rescuers eventually finding him beneath the Bay Bridge’s westernmost column. The San Francisco Police Department’s Marine Unit, its Drone as First Responder team, and the San Francisco Fire Department all converged on the scene to pull off the rescue.
Multiple 911 callers reported the capsized kayak late Thursday afternoon near the Ferry Building, according to Patch. One caller reported hearing someone under the westernmost column of the Bay Bridge, while a second caller said one kayaker wearing a life jacket had reached shore safely while his companion remained in the water, according to the New York Post. An SFPD Instagram video, per the Post, showed drone footage of the capsized kayak around 2:41 p.m.
Drone Guides Rescuers to the Overturned Kayak
SFPD’s drone located the overturned kayak and a paddle, and a San Francisco Fire Department boat followed the drone to the scene, the Post reported. Marine Unit officers then found the man beneath the bridge and pulled him from the water, a rescue Patch’s reporting corroborates. Officers transferred him to a Fire Department boat for immediate medical attention, the same report notes.
The Post’s account said the kayak and paddle were recovered behind Fire Station 35. The sequence — multiple panicked calls, a drone search, and a water extraction beneath one of the bridge’s support columns — underscores how quickly a calm paddle on the bay can turn into an emergency.
SFPD Urges Paddlers to Prepare Before Launching
In its Instagram post, SFPD wrote that the rescue was a reminder to prepare before heading out on the bay, warning that conditions can change quickly and that cold water and strong currents can endanger even experienced paddlers, per the Post’s reporting. The department advised paddlers to wear a life jacket, carry a cell phone in a waterproof pouch or dry bag, check weather, tides and currents before launching, and tell others their trip itinerary…