Man Hospitalized After Ocean Raft Rescue

A man was hospitalized for treatment of hypothermia today after he and his cousin were rescued from an inflatable raft two miles offshore from Laguna Beach, authorities said.

The unidentified victims, both in their mid-30s, were found by a Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol vessel around 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said the pair left Corona del Mar around 10 a.m., with the inflatable raft towing an inner tube ring. Both were carrying paddles.

An offshore current carried the pair further out to sea and into rough water, Concialdi said.

One of the victims, aged 35, was hospitalized for treatment of hypothermia and low blood pressure. The other was treated for dehydration, Concialdi said.

Neither of the men could swim, Concialdi said.

-City News Service