Water Rescue Called In For Drunk Rafters, Aborted Shortly After Group Tows Themselves In

A water rescue was called in on Tuesday night and aborted shortly after when five people in a large blue raft, all of whom were intoxicated according to the police scanner, drifted too far from the shoreline by Del Playa Drive and Camino Lindo in Isla Vista. 

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Santa Barbara County Fire officials initially prepared to launch a water rescue for the group after receiving a report around 7:30 p.m. of “five to six subjects who [were] possibly stranded on a raft.” 

The individuals had been out in the ocean for approximately fifteen minutes before the water rescue was called in, according to the police scanner. 

However, after officials began to set up a water rescue launch at Campus Point Beach, one of the people on the raft began using an attached kayak to tow the blue raft toward the shore. 

Once it seemed like the kayaker had the situation under control, officials held off on launching the rescue. 

“We’re on scene at Campus Point but won’t launch until we get confirmation that we’re needed,” one official on the scanner said. 

Emergency officials who were stationed on Del Playa Drive called out to the people on the raft, who responded confirming that they were fine.

The water rescue was aborted shortly afterward and the group returned to shore safely by themselves. 

Evelyn Spence contributed reporting.