What began as a calm walk along the sand became a desperate rescue after violent surf knocked an Orange County woman down, pulled her into the water and left her in the middle of a medical emergency.
Teresa Tran was visiting Aliso Beach with friends for a casual seaside stroll when unexpectedly dangerous waves overwhelmed the group.
A powerful wave first swept the women off their feet. As they tried to recover, another surge crashed into them again.
“They were trying to get up, and by the time they got up, a third one came out of nowhere, and they were knocked to their knees again,” Tran’s daughter, Amanda Trinh, told CBS LA.
Onlookers saw the women fighting to stay upright in the rough ocean conditions, and lifeguards quickly moved in to help.
Two of Tran’s friends were able to make it back to shore safely.
Tran, however, was in far more serious trouble. By the time rescuers got to her, she had suffered a heart attack during the frightening near-drowning incident, Trinh said.
Lifeguards began emergency treatment on the beach while a helicopter was dispatched to transport Tran to a nearby hospital.
“She was still unconscious when they pulled her out so they were trying to find her pulse,” Trinh told CBS LA. “It was very faint and they flipped her over and that was when she vomited all of the water out and was able to regain consciousness after that.”
Tran was eventually airlifted to a nearby hospital.
Her daughter later recalled the horrifying final moments her mother remembered in the water.
“Her last memory in the water is that she just recalls not being able to fight anymore,” Trinh said her mom recalled. “She was just thinking I need to keep trying. I need to keep trying, but then eventually she kept swallowing so much water, and she just gave up.”
Trinh started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her mother’s medical bills, describing the ordeal as “a frightening and unexpected experience for our family.
“We are so grateful my mom is alive and receiving care,” Trinh wrote. “If there is anything you can do to help contribute, please consider donating here. Your support will help our family cover the costs of her airlift, overnight hospital stays, and other expenses that insurance won’t cover while we focus on getting my mom healthy and home.”
On Aug. 20, Trinh said her mother had been discharged from the hospital and was “resting at home.”
The incident happened near where a 5-year-old drowned after being swept away by strong surf.
“She’s horrified,” Trinh told CBS LA. “I don’t think she’s going to be going near any body of water for a while now.”
