A relaxing afternoon at one of California’s most popular beaches turned into a nightmare when a young woman sunbathing on the sand was run over by a lifeguard driving a pickup truck.
The shocking accident happened around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at Francis Beach, the main stretch of Half Moon Bay State Beach, according to officials.
The 20-year-old woman was lying on the sand when a California State Parks lifeguard truck rolled over her, leaving stunned beachgoers scrambling as the terrifying scene unfolded in front of them.
“We saw that they were digging out a woman who had gotten run over,” one witness told KTVU. “It’s awful that she got run over. Hopefully it was just an accident.”
The lifeguard behind the wheel was a seasonal employee and was allegedly distracted at the time of the incident, according to reports.
Emergency crews treated the woman at the scene before she was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital.
California State Parks spokesperson Adeline Yee said the woman’s injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
“The woman was treated at the scene and taken by ambulance to a local hospital,” Yee said. “Her injuries are not believed to be life-threatening at this time.”
No arrests have been made, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, but investigators are still looking into exactly how the horrifying accident happened.
Francis Beach is a busy destination for locals, tourists and campers. The beach is part of Half Moon Bay State Beach and includes tent and RV camping areas, with some sites offering electric hookups.
The incident comes less than a year after another tragedy near Half Moon Bay, when a 39-year-old man and an 8-year-old boy died after being swept away by powerful ocean waves at Cowell Ranch State Beach, just a few miles south of Francis Beach.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the beachside accident.
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