Man saved from water at Carmel Beach by good Samaritans
On October 18 at noon
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CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, California (KSBW) — On Wednesday, at noon, Monterey City Fire responded to a swimmer in distress call at Carmel Beach near Ocean Avenue and Scenic Road.
According to witnesses, the man got stuck in a rip current about 300 yards out on the water. Jennifer Ursino said she called 9-1-1 when she saw the man drifting away into the ocean.
“It was shocking to see how quickly things happen. You know, it’s dangerous. The tide is super high,” said Ursino.
While some on the shore called first responders, three surfers heard the man crying for help and swam over to rescue him.
“He seemed a bit panicked. And so we just calmed him down and made sure he was all right,” Austin Book.
When first responders arrived, the man was already on the shore, and the man was safe, uninjured, and grateful to the bystanders who saved him.
Monterey City Fire said the man was around 30 years old and was shaken up but refused medical attention and walked away unharmed.
First responders said although nobody in this incident was hurt, they want to remind people to be safe around the water, especially with the high tide advisory still in effect.
A popular seal is on track to break a local record for most successful consecutive births. The seal, whose fanbase named her Dotty McScarbelly, Dotty for short, can be found at Hopkins Marine Station Beach in Pacific Grove, and is currently pregnant with her twelfth pup— a record for the hundreds of seals monitored by the Bay Net, The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Kathy Nolet, a volunteer for Bay Net, describes Dotty as the mom of all mom seals.
“She is the absolute no-nonsense mom. She knows what to do, when to do it, how to do it. She knows the whole area where she wants to be. And she has her pup every year right here at Hopkins Cove,” she said.
Experts said that over a 10-year period, a female seal will have seven successful births and that a lot of it is attributed to the quality of their environment.
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Nolet explained why she believes Hopkins Cove is perfect for these mother seals.
“This is the best place for them. It’s a huge beach. It’s protected by this fence. And we get lots of seals here. We can have up to 200 on this beach,” she said.
Dotty the seal has also gained quite a fan base with people from all around the world. Many stay up to date with her on social media and take a visit to catch a glimpse of her in person. Experts continue to keep them updated on Dotty, pointing out that she’s healthy and in great shape.
“She sleeps good during the day, She hunts great at night. She’s in good shape. So she knows and she’s very safe out there,” said Nolet.
Dotty is currently around the beginning of her second trimester and is expected to give birth to her 12th pup sometime in April 2024.
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