Overview
- A 26-year-old was swept from his board while night surfing at Haskell’s Beach in Goleta, and his surfboard later washed ashore.
- His friend called 911, prompting Santa Barbara County Fire crews to arrive at 6:28 p.m. for a shoreline search.
- Infrared-equipped drones spotted him about a quarter-mile offshore as he clung to a buoy attached to a lobster trap.
- Two members of the department’s water-rescue team reached him and escorted him back to shore, where he was evaluated and required no further treatment.
- The department credited the friend, rescuers and drone technology for the save, and reiterated warnings not to enter the ocean alone as local groups report numerous hazardous lobster traps along the Haskell–Ellwood coast.