2 Children Among 4 Airlifted To Safety In Sonoma Sheriff’s Rescue

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Four kayakers including two children were airlifted to safety Saturday afternoon after they were seen being swept out into the sea in Tomas Bay amid rough surf, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

An H1 helicopter was summoned after the Marin County Fire Department requested assistance with a water rescue near the mouth of Tomales Bay, the Sheriff’s Office said.

No injuries were reported.

The agency said it occasionally provides H1 mutual aid to Marin.

The H1’s aircrew located the kayakers stranded on the west shore of Tomales Bay.

“Due to the remoteness of the location, and rough seas, the kayakers were internally loaded into H1 and flown to safety in the Lawson’s Landing area,” the agency said.

The agency posted video of the rescue that shows one man carrying a small child and another man holding a child’s hand as they walk along the beach toward the H1 crew.

Crew members are heard in the video calmly explaining the rescue plan to the stranded kayakers.

“We’re going to fly over, we’ll land and then I’ll get you guys out, OK?” a crew member says to the thumbs up of one of the kayakers sitting with a child in his lap.

“Good?” a crew member is heard asking one of the boys, sitting in the helicopter in an orange life vest.

“Yeah,” the boy replies with a nod.

The grateful kayakers are seen posing at the end of the video with one of the crew members in front of the H1.