Three Rescued from Big Waves Sunday

Big waves and lots of sunshine had the Santa Cruz Fire Department working hard Sunday, but luckily, with three calls for rescues, no one was hurt.

The first report was at Mitchell's Cove on West Cliff Drive, where someone called in a report that two surfers were struggling to get out of the water. They were on the beach by the time fire crews arrived.

A third surfer was having trouble while the rescue crew was there and lifeguards used a personal water craft to pull him from beyond the breakers. He refused medical treatment after he was brought ashore.

An hour later at Mitchell's, a woman on a boogie board was rescued by a bystander after she became exhausted. Fire department paramedics and rescue swimmers helped her up the cliff.

Another report came from the mouth of the San Lorenzo River, where a woman was said to be unconscious in the water. When fire crews got there, she was OK.

Personal water craft were used the rest of the day patrolling the area until dusk, according to a report by Battalion Chief Mike Venezio.