San Francisco surfer dies after rescue at dangerous Ocean Beach swell

A San Francisco surfer died after a rescue at Ocean Beach, where a rare late-spring swell turned the beachbreak into a violent line of double-overhead surf and fast-moving currents. The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 55-year-old Sandro Britz, later reported as Sandro Ricardo Britz, a San Francisco resident.

The distress call came around 1:20 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, near Lincoln Way at Ocean Beach. According to fire officials, an off-duty National Park Service lifeguard surfing in the area and three on-duty National Park Service Ocean Rescue lifeguards saw Britz waving both hands above his head, a recognized distress signal, and swam to him just outside the surf line.

Rescuers found Britz face down, unconscious and not breathing. They brought him to shore, where San Francisco firefighters and paramedics performed repeated CPR and advanced life support before he was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He later died.

Officials said the ocean was unusually hazardous for late May. A rare late-spring west swell brought strong currents, large sets and surf that one local surfer described as so turbulent it was “almost to the point where it looks like a washing machine cycle.” Surf coverage said the conditions were more typical of winter than late spring, adding another layer of risk to a shoreline already known for brutal surf and sudden changes.

The San Francisco Fire Department used the death to renew warnings that all but the strongest swimmers and surfers should stay out of the water at Ocean Beach. The National Park Service says Ocean Beach is never safe for swimming and that even wading is dangerous because unpredictable tides and rip currents can pull people offshore. Its beach safety guidance also warns that rough surf, sneaker waves, rip currents and cold water can make beaches in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area unsafe for swimming and beachcombing.

The death is part of a wider pattern along the California coast, where surf-zone fatalities are tracked separately by the National Weather Service and remain difficult to count precisely. For families and beachgoers in the Sunset and Richmond neighborhoods, the loss is another reminder that Ocean Beach can turn dangerous fast, even when trained rescuers are already in the water. One surfer told ABC7, “It’s definitely scary it can happen to anyone at any time.”