Three surfers reached the man in the water and kept him afloat until a U.S. Coast Guard rescue crew arrived.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A 17-year-old surfer and two others rushed to help a man who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday, reaching him in the water and keeping him afloat until a U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat arrived.
Colby Ralls, of San Rafael, was surfing with two other people near the bridge when shouting from above alerted them to a person in distress. Ralls told ABC7 News that people on the bridge were calling for help and trying to stop the man before he jumped. The three surfers began paddling toward him immediately after seeing him enter the water.
Ralls said the man was calling for help as the surfers approached. When they reached him, they used a surfboard to support him because he was having difficulty swimming. Ralls said the group stabilized the board, kept the man afloat and reassured him that emergency help was coming. He said the man had a pulse and was breathing.
A Coast Guard rescue boat arrived within minutes and took over the response. Coast Guard Lt. John Thompson, who was part of the watch team that day, told ABC7 that the surfers’ quick response provided crucial time before professional rescuers could reach the man. Thompson said a person striking the water at high speed can quickly experience shock, making the surfers’ ability to support him especially important.
The Coast Guard said the man was in stable condition when he was transferred to an ambulance. His identity was not released in the reports reviewed, and no later medical update was available. The surfers believed he was in his 20s, but authorities had not publicly confirmed his age. The circumstances that led to the jump also had not been released.
The rescue unfolded near Fort Point, at the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge, where surfers sometimes enter the water when conditions produce rideable waves. The area can also present difficult conditions because of currents and marine traffic. Ralls and the other surfers happened to be close enough to respond before the Coast Guard boat reached the scene.
The incident comes more than two years after completion of the Golden Gate Bridge’s suicide deterrent system. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District says the continuous physical barrier extends along the 1.7-mile span. The system includes marine-grade stainless steel netting positioned below the sidewalks and was designed to deter people from jumping and provide another layer of protection when someone goes over the railing.
Bridge officials say deaths have fallen sharply since the deterrent system was completed. According to the district, suicides at the bridge declined 73% in 2024 compared with the previous 20-year annual average and declined 87% in 2025. Those figures provide broader context for prevention efforts at the landmark but do not establish why the man involved in Tuesday’s rescue jumped.
Ralls said he hoped the rescued man would recover. The Coast Guard’s report that he was stable when transferred to an ambulance remained the latest confirmed condition available in the reporting reviewed. Authorities had not announced further details about his treatment or condition as of Thursday.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2026.