LAKE MERCED—On Saturday, August 2, 2025, at about 5:20 in the afternoon, San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) were summoned to rescue an as-yet-to-be-identified man who was found holding onto the rocks of the lake after a boat accident near Skyline Boulevard and Harding Road. He was found off Harding Road, near Lake Merced Boathouse.
Because of the cold temperature of the water in Lake Merced, the man was overwhelmed, causing him to become disoriented. A rescue swimmer and a bystander with a paddleboard assisted with the rescue.
The rescue of the man occurred at approximately 6:28 p.m. that afternoon, according to the San Francisco Fire Department’s Twitter’s, also known as X’s, social media site. Although the man was in stable condition, upon leaving Lake Merced, the medics wanted him to be transferred to a local hospital for closer observation, which they did.
When nearby people heard this individual’s distress calls, there was quick and immediate response that was issued for a nearby San Francisco Fire Department Station to rescue him. He was discovered by the San Francisco Fire Department, holding onto the rocks that line the shoreline of the water on Lake Merced. According to a San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson, the temperature of the water in Lake Merced is really cold, ranging from fifty-four to fifty-seven degrees Fahrenheit.
In an attempt to operate a remote-controlled toy boat on Lake Merced, he was trying to retrieve the toy when it malfunctioned. Then the temperature of the lake got to him, causing his senses and abilities to become weakened and become disoriented.
