Photo: Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra honor Lifeguard David Wilson (center). Credit: Dionne Grubbs/California Department of Justice.
By Kristina Houck (Patch Staff) – Patch.com
OCEANSIDE, CA – An Oceanside lifeguard was recognized Monday for risking his life to save a boater last year.
Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra honored David Wilson of the Oceanside Fire Department with the Public Safety Medal of Valor during a ceremony at the state Capitol.
In July 2016, Wilson rescued a man whose boat crashed into a jetty in Oceanside Harbor. The victim was barely conscious and wedged between two boulders. Conditions were hazardous at the time, with waves striking and submerging the man under water.
Despite relentless waves, Wilson dove under water and swam into the rocks to free the man’s legs. He was repeatedly knocked down, and sustained cuts and bruises from the rocks.
“You were vulnerable but that didn’t stop you; you exercised real courage,” Brown said. “That’s what we recognize and reward. That’s what we’re doing today.”