Surfer hospitalized after nearly drowning near Morro Rock

A local surfer nearly drowned near Morro Rock on Saturday and was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center after an incident in the water, Morro Bay Harbor Patrol said.

The unidentified man suffered either a heart attack or was hit by his board, according to harbor patrol officer Scott Mather. The surfer was brought to shore by his friends.

A passerby happened to be an emergency medical technician, and one of the surfer’s friends was a paramedic; they immediately began CPR, Mather said.

The Morro Bay Fire Department and the Harbor Patrol then responded, Mather said.

The surfer’s condition was unknown Saturday afternoon, and no other information was immediately available.

This story was originally published December 8, 2018 at 2:19 PM.