2 Unconscious Swimmers Pulled From Ocean During “Mass Rescue”

 Two young men were rushed to the hospital after they were pulled unconscious from the water at an Encinitas beach. 

Lifeguards started a "mass rescue" when seven people got caught in a rip current at the northern end of Moonlight Beach around 2:10 p.m. Thursday, according to Encinitas Fire officials.

Two young Hispanic men, at least one of whom is a juvenile, were unconscious when they were rescued by lifeguards, so they were taken to Scripps Encinitas Hospital. 

Their conditions are unknown at this time. 

A group of mostly Santa Fe Christian Academy students also started trying to help each other, rescuing who they could before lifeguards reached them. 

The unconscious victims were not with the students; the emergencies just happened in the same area, fire officials say. San Diego County Sheriff's investigators will now work to identify the victims. 

 A witness named Wendy described what she saw the moment she got to the beach. 

"I saw the female lifeguard pulling the older boy out of the water, and I noticed that it wasn't in very deep water and he wasn't moving," she said. 

A whole team of lifeguards tried to revive him. 

When she looked farther down the beach, she saw "a small, younger boy that they had already started CPR on, and they were being worked on simultaneously."

Many more Santa Fe Christian students were seen on the beach shaking and praying for victims.

Over the next four or five days, lifeguards expect a southern swell to continue to bring in sporadic rip currents down San Diego's coastline, and with the beautiful weather attracting many to the water, those flocking to the beach need to be aware, fire officials. 

The incident has prompted a drowning investigation.

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