A 20-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital after she was run over by a lifeguard vehicle while lying on the sand at a popular California beach, authorities said.
The shocking incident happened around 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, at Francis Beach, which is part of Half Moon Bay State Beach along the San Mateo County coast.
According to reports, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Kelly Avenue area of the beach after a California Department of Parks and Recreation lifeguard vehicle struck a person on the sand.
Authorities said the woman, who has not been publicly identified, was lying on the beach when the vehicle drove over her.
Gretchen Spiker, the sheriff’s director of communications, said initial reports indicated the lifeguard driving the vehicle may have been distracted at the time of the incident.
The woman was taken to a local hospital. Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, officials said.
Witnesses described a frightening scene as emergency crews rushed to help the injured woman.
Elena Inzunza of Auburn, who was camping in the area with her family, told ABC7 Bay Area that she and her cousins saw officers running toward the beach.
“So we went to check it out, and a girl was buried under the sand,” Inzunza said.
Another witness told KTVU Fox 2 that responders were digging the woman out after she was run over.
“We saw that they were digging out a woman who had gotten run over,” the witness said. “It’s awful that she got run over. Hopefully, everything’s going to be fine. Hopefully it was just an accident.”
Along with sheriff’s deputies, Coastside Fire and State Park Peace Officers responded to the scene, according to California State Parks spokesperson Adeline Yee.
Francis Beach is one of several beaches that make up Half Moon Bay State Beach, a popular stretch of coastline known for its long sandy beaches, cool marine weather, dunes, ocean views and shore fishing. The state beach also includes Venice, Dunes and Roosevelt beaches.
Authorities have not released the name of the lifeguard involved in the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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