Updated at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 4, 2015
Lifeguards Tuesday rescued an injured man spotted flailing in the surf near La Jolla Shores.
A passerby saw the 44-year-old man struggling amid heavy waves in the ocean and yelling for help in the area of Shell Beach about 8:30 a.m., San Diego Lifeguard Services Lt. Andy Lerum said.
Two lifeguards swam out to the man — who was wearing a jacket but had shed his pants and shoes — and pulled him to shore.
Medics took him to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla for treatment of a broken arm and other apparently non-life-threatening injuries, including a sizable “knot” on his head from an impact with a rock or other hard object, Lerum said.
Lifeguards believed the man likely fell off a nearby 40- to 50-foot cliff at the edge of the water, though they couldn’t be sure due to the victim’s heavy, possibly German accent and limited English proficiency, the lieutenant said.
—City News Service