Fire Department frees boy after leg trapped in boulders

A teen was rescued after his leg was trapped under boulders, with one weighing about 1,000 pounds, at Aliso Creek Beach on Monday.

Lifeguards reported the incident to the Fire Department, which upgraded the situation after they discovered his upper and lower leg were stuck, Division Chief Dan Stefano said.

The Aliso Viejo boy, either 14 or 15 years old, was climbing the rocks when the sand gave away and rocks collapsed around his leg.

“The biggest challenge was that his entire thigh was pinned,” Stefano said.

The Fire Department worked with the Orange County Fire Authority to extricate him.

Paramedics were present and the boy had an IV hooked up to him and his vital signs were checked.

After almost an hour, he was extricated and transported to Mission Hospital Mission Viejo.

Although the boy was probably in pain, Stefano said he was calm and composed the whole time. He isn’t sure of his injuries.

Stefano warns beach-goers about the dangers of climbing the rocks near the water’s edge, however, he said this doesn’t happen all the time.

“For us, it was an extremely unique situation,” he said.

— Joanna Clay