A 20-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital after authorities say she was run over by a lifeguard truck while lying on the sand at a California beach.
The shocking incident happened Wednesday afternoon at Francis Beach in Half Moon Bay, along the San Mateo County coast.
According to California State Parks officials, the woman was on the beach when she was struck by a pickup truck being driven by a lifeguard.
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said the woman was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Investigators said the lifeguard behind the wheel may have been distracted at the time of the incident.
By Thursday morning, ABC7 Eyewitness News reported that tire tracks could still be seen in the sand where the woman was hit.
Witnesses said the frightening scene unfolded as emergency responders rushed toward the beach to help the injured woman.
“Me and my cousins, we saw cops running over to the beach,” Elena Inzunza of Auburn told ABC7. Inzunza, who was camping nearby with her family, said they went to see what was happening and discovered that “a girl was buried under the sand.”
The incident stunned beachgoers, with some saying they had never heard of anything like it happening at the popular coastal spot.
“That’s really sad,” Tania Jess of Half Moon Bay told the station. “I mean, I’ve never heard of that before, so that’s really sad for both. So I hope that person in the sand is okay.”
Authorities have not released the name of the woman who was injured or the lifeguard who was driving the truck.
The accident remains under investigation.
