SAN FRANCISCO—An unidentified man was severely injured from a kite surfing accident at Ocean Beach on Friday, September 4 around 3:12 p.m..
Witnesses say that the man was about to enter the water when a strong gust of wind lifted him into the air and dragged him over the sand dunes and dropped him on to the Great Highway at Sloat Boulevard.
The man was dragged into oncoming traffic and then hit by a silver Toyota SUV, where he fell onto the ground. The kite surfer ended up between the SUV and a concrete barrier and was severely injured. The SUV driver told officers that he had seen the kite moments before hitting the kite surfer.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, the kite surfer was immediately taken to the San Francisco General Hospital after sustaining “life-threatening injuries” including head trauma. Police closed down southbound lanes on the Great Highway between Lincoln and Sloat for investigation purposes.
Local San Francisco kite surfer, Alex Lowe, told reporters that wind gusts had reached 47 miles per hour, making surfing conditions dangerous for surfers with larger kites. Lowe told reporters that the victim was likely caught in an uncontrolled kite loop, which takes place when a kite surfer’s lines crosses the kite and spins uncontrollably. According to Lowe, when this occurs, the kite drags the surfer at wind speed and cannot be controlled. Lowe mentioned that these types of accidents are “uncommon, but not unheard of.”
Police officers have not yet released the identity of the injured kite surfer, his current condition is unknown.
