Driver rescued after SUV found in ocean off Corona del Mar shore

Newport Beach police rescued the driver of an SUV that was found submerged in the ocean at Corona del Mar State Beach early Saturday morning, officials said.

Photos from the fire department show the black Jeep deep in the water and being battered by waves.

Newport Beach police arrived about 5:30 a.m. and rescued the individual from the vehicle, officials said. The person, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.

Public works employees used heavy equipment to remove the Jeep from the water so that it could be towed away.

“The teamwork and determination of all responders were critical in overcoming the hazards posed by the early morning surf,” fire officials said in a social media post.

Police are continuing to investigate, including how the SUV ended up in the surf.

Premo Tomanek went to the beach to play volleyball with friends at 6 a.m. Saturday. By then the vehicle had already been moved into an adjacent parking lot, which was teeming with police and firefighters.

He noted that the entrance gate to Corona Del Mar State Beach doesn’t normally open until 6 a.m. He added that some residents do have access to routes that can bypass the gate. There did not appear to be any significant damage to the gate or other structures at the beach as of Monday afternoon. The sand is accessible from the parking lot via gaps in concrete barriers separating it from a walking path.

No debris from the Jeep was visible on the sand, and most beach goers Monday afternoon had no idea a person had been rescued there over the weekend. Newport Beach resident Marcella Ara was just getting home from a bachelorette party when she found out what had happened Saturday morning.

“I called up my friends and asked them ‘you good?’ just to be sure,” she told the Daily Pilot Monday while smoking a cigarette in the beach’s parking lot and meditating on the sound of waves.

Daily Pilot staff writer Eric Licas contributed to this report.