San Francisco fisherman hospitalized after sneaker wave pulls him into ocean

A fisherman is hospitalized after he was swept into the ocean in San Francisco on Friday afternoon, fire officials said.

The San Francisco Fire Department responded to Baker Beach in the Presidio around 1 p.m. after receiving multiple reports that the fisherman was along the shore when a sneaker wave swept him into the water. 

Three rescue swimmers reached the fisherman within minutes of dispatch and brought him to shore, crews said. Rescue crews performed live support measures on the beach, and the man was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. 

Sneaker waves are described as large, unexpected waves that surge farther up the beach than normal waves. They can appear without warning and have the power to knock people off their feet and pull them into the ocean.