A missing jet skier who vanished off the Long Beach coast overnight was found alive Monday morning after more than 12 hours in the water.
Paul Anthony Carbullido, 53, was located roughly 2.5 miles offshore from the Seal Beach Pier following an extensive search involving the US Coast Guard and Long Beach Fire Department. The dramatic rescue capped a frantic night that began when authorities received reports of two jet skiers missing near Alamitos Bay Landing around 10 p.m. Sunday.
The pair had been riding with a larger group when they became separated and ended up in the water. The search intensified after fishermen reported hearing a woman screaming for help around 10:30 p.m., prompting lifeguards to rush to the Long Beach Breakwater. There, they found a woman in her 40s clinging to the rocks between Queen’s Gate and the LA Light.
The woman was pulled to safety and taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition. But her male riding companion was nowhere to be found, and concern mounted as crews scoured the darkness for any sign of him.
Authorities located an abandoned jet ski floating in the water beyond the breakwater at approximately 1:15 a.m. Monday. A second jet ski was found about 30 minutes later, but there was still no sign of Carbullido.
Crews continued searching through the night and into the morning as worry grew for the stranded rider. Then, around 10:30 a.m., the search produced a stunning breakthrough when a Coast Guard helicopter spotted the man floating approximately 2.5 miles offshore from the Seal Beach Pier, according to the Long Beach Fire Department.
A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter and managed to pull Carbullido from the water. He was found shortly after 11 a.m. And was alive and talking before being taken to a hospital, a US Coast Guard spokesman told City News Service. He was suffering from hypothermia and was later reported to be in stable condition.
In the viral moment that sparked the massive search, the two jet skiers had been part of a larger group riding Sunday evening when they became separated from the others and found themselves in the water near Alamitos Bay Landing. The circumstances of how they became separated and why both ended up abandoning their jet skis remained unclear as authorities continued their investigation.
Authorities have not provided additional details about what caused the pair to become separated from their group or how Carbullido ended up miles from where the jet skis were found. The Coast Guard and Long Beach Fire Department have not released further statements about the incident.
Carbullido was expected to remain hospitalized for treatment of hypothermia as investigators worked to piece together the full sequence of events that left him stranded overnight in the Pacific.