Apr 15, 2008

Camp Glenwood field trip goes awry

Three teens rescued from water at beach

By Melissa McRobbie / Daily News Staff Writer

A young ward of the San Mateo County Probation Department was hospitalized Saturday after being rescued from the water while on a field trip to San Gregorio State Beach.

The boy was with a group of eight other juveniles and three staffers from Camp Glenwood, a detention facility for youth offenders in La Honda, said Assistant Chief Probation Officer Stewart Peterson.

The youths were spending the afternoon at the beach as a reward for good behavior, Peterson said.

"The wards were on a field trip and they were out in the water, and the beach which they were at has a sharp drop-off," Peterson said.

Three of the youths, who Peterson said were 16 and 17 years old, accidentally stepped off the ledge and were pulled into deeper water away from the shore.

The staffers jumped in to help and were soon joined by park rangers, Peterson said. The rescuers were able to get the teens out of the water in a matter of minutes but one boy, who remained conscious, had water in his lungs, Peterson said.

A medical helicopter was called in and the boy was airlifted to Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, Peterson said. He has since been medically cleared and is back at Camp Glenwood.

The other two boys were uninjured and returned to the facility with the group later that day.

"Everybody's back safe and sound," Peterson said.

Rangers from the state parks department were not available to provide additional details Monday.



E-mail Melissa McRobbie at mcrobbie@dailynewsgroup.com.