EXCLUSIVE: Surfers help save person after jump from Golden Gate Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A group of surfers helped rescue a person who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday afternoon, reaching him in the water before a U.S. Coast Guard boat arrived.

Among them was 17-year-old Colby Ralls of San Rafael, who was surfing with two others when voices from the bridge alerted them that something was wrong.

"I yelled to my dad, call someone. Everyone was yelling to the beach, to call someone. And then he ended up just jumping off. There was guys up there, telling him not to. He just jumped off and just right as we saw that happened. Me and a couple other guys that were out there just started paddling to go get him," Ralls said.

Ralls said the surfers immediately headed toward the person after witnessing the jump.

"He was yelling help as we were paddling towards him. While he was still alive," Ralls said.

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The three surfers reached the man, whom they believed to be in his 20s, and worked to keep him afloat.

"Stabilizing the board and just keeping him afloat because you couldn't really swim and the guys were talking to him like, hey, it's okay, it's okay. We're getting help," Ralls said.

Within minutes, a Coast Guard rescue boat reached the group and took over.

"They're gone fast. You know, they're like, we need to go. We need to go. It was just such a miracle that he even survived that drop. It's kind of crazy," Ralls said.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. John Thompson, who was part of the watch team that day, said the surfers' quick actions were critical.

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"Hitting that water at that speed and you can experience shock very quickly, so those surfers being there, be able to pull the person onto a surfboard, provided those vital seconds in order to be able to save the person," Thompson said.

After the rescue, Ralls and the other surfers returned to shore and continued processing what had happened. He said the man had a pulse and was breathing when they reached him.

"There should be easier ways to get help for people like that. You know, I just I just really hope he's okay," Ralls said.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the man was in stable condition when he was transferred to an ambulance. Ralls said he hopes the man recovers.

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