MALIBU, Calif. () — Two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies are being hailed as heroes for rescuing two paragliders who got lost in the fog and ended up crashing into the ocean.
The harrowing scene unfolded around 12:30 p.m. Friday along Carbon Beach in Malibu after two paragliders – a man and woman – plunged into the water. They began paragliding in clear skies but conditions soon became foggy, causing them to become disoriented.
The paragliders began drowning as the weight of the equipment was dragging them down and cords had wrapped around their feet.
Deputies Christopher Matkin and Sevak Grigoryan responded to the call for help and jumped into action.
“When we first got there the fog was very dense. We could only make out the outline of the parachute,” Matkin told reporters. “Once we got closer to the water’s edge we were able to see the two victims in the water.”
Body camera footage shows the deputies drop their gear on the sand and take off running into the ocean.
Once they reached the paragliders, the deputies took out their knives and started cutting the cords to free them.
“It was a tense situation because both of the victims were pulling down on everyone and dragging us under,” Matkin recounted. “But we were able to calm them down, and we were able to get them out of the water safely without any injuries.”
Grigoryan said the victims thanked him and Matkin for saving them.
The paragliders were treated at the scene and later released.
“It definitely could have gone south,” Grigoryan said. “It definitely could have gone entirely different, but luckily, both of us were on the same page.”
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