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

SOCIETY EXCLUSIVE: Surfers help save person after jump from Golden Gate Bridge By Luz Pena Thursday, November 12, 2026 2:09AM A group of surfers helped rescue a person who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday, reaching him in the water before the Coast Guard arrived. 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. VIDEO: 'Just kept getting pulled': 10-year-old boy details harrowing Santa Cruz surf rescue A 10-year-old Dallas boy is speaking out after being rescued from strong currents while visiting Santa Cruz. 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. Apple employee charged with murder after crashing into car at nearly 100 mph killing toddler Search called off for 24-year-old Bay Area woman swept into ocean near Santa Cruz AccuWeather Forecast: 1 more dry and mild day tomorrow before stormy pattern begins 2 hours ago "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. MORE: Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker found floating miles offshore, rescued by fishermen "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. If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Find crisis resources here . Report a correction or typo Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved. Related Topics SOCIETY SAN FRANCISCO ABC7 NEWS EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE RESCUE WATER RESCUE Live Streams ON NOW Apple employee charged with murder after crashing into car at nearly 100 mph killing toddler Search called off for 24-year-old Bay Area woman swept into ocean near Santa Cruz AccuWeather Forecast: 1 more dry and mild day tomorrow before stormy pattern begins 2 hours ago Level 2 storm to bring rain, dangerous surf to Bay Area and more than a foot of snow to the Sierra 2 hours ago 18-year-old suspect will not be charged in deadly Moss Landing shooting, barring new evidence: DA