A man found submerged off the coast of Ocean Beach has died in what a lifeguard called a "pretty horrific situation", officials confirmed.
San Diego Lifeguards first responded to the area Saturday night after getting a 911 call for a man struggling in the water off the pier.
Cesar Ughetto, 46, of La Mesa, went to dinner Saturday with friends and family, the ME's office said. After dinner, he went for a swim off the coast. At the time, the beach had been closed for the day by lifeguards.
Shortly after getting into the water, he disappeared from view, officials said.
Five lifeguards responded to the 911 call. One lifeguard jumped from the pier after spotting Ughetto as a rescue boat helped, Lifeguard Lt. Andy Lerum said.
However, at one point during the rescue, Ughetto started sinking, Lerum said.
"The person had gone unconscious and submerged during out response," said Lerum. "It turned into a missing person call, we call a code X."
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The conditions during the rescue were not favorable, Lerum said. High surf and strong rip currents made the rescue difficult in the dark. Lerum called the situation "pretty horrific."
When lifeguards pulled Ughetto onto the boat, they began chest compression right away, Lerum said. When they reached the shore, officials began performing CPR.
He was taken to a UC San Diego Medical Center's emergency room where he was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m., according to the ME's office.
In light of the death, Lerum warned against swimming in areas not protected by lifeguards, especially after dark.
