Sea otter in California.
Sea otter in California. Credit: Michael Steinman on Unsplash

Six units with Santa Cruz Fire in California responded to a confirmed water rescue in relation to a surfer who had potentially been bitten by an otter on Wednesday, October 15th.

California Sea Otters: Life on the Edge | Changing Seas
California Sea Otters

The incident occurred at Steamer Lane around 5:00pm. Lifeguards 3108, 3162, and 3163 were attached to the incident. 3108 and 31623 arrived to the scene first, finding a group of surfers surrounding a surfer in the water and an otter who appeared to have takebn over the victim’s board.

Lifeguard 3162 was deployed with a rescue board, signaling a “code 4” to units on the cliffs to indicate that they needed no further assistance in the water. The victim was brought out of the water on a paddleboard and was checked out medically by E3113 and AMR.

Fortunately the victim had sustained no injuries and was not bitten by the otter. Lifeguard 3162 returned to the water and retrieved the victim’s surfboard, concluding the entire situation.

Nolan Deck is a writer for Unofficial Networks, covering skiing and outdoor adventure. After growing up and skiing in Maine, he moved to the Denver area for college where he continues to live and work...