Andrew Johnson

4-Year-Old Girl Run Over by Coronado Lifeguard Released from Hospital

The child was crouched in the sand when she was struck

A 4-year-old girl who was run over by a lifeguard truck at a Coronado beach Monday was released from Rady Children's Hospital Tuesday afternoon.

The Coronado Fire Department said the child was crouched down, digging in the sand when she was struck at around 6:15 p.m. at the Coronado Beach and Dog Park.

CFD Fire Chief Jim Lydon confirmed the front and rear tires went over the young girl.

The Coronado Lifeguard behind the wheel was responding to reports of a swimmer caught in a riptide at the time, the fire department said.

Two lifeguards were inside the truck and they said they felt something underneath the vehicle and stopped to assist the girl.

The 4-year-old was treated at the scene near lifeguard tower 6C and later transported to Rady Children’s Hospital. The extent of her injuries were never released, but a spokesperson said she was recoving.

While the lifeguards are relieved the girl is recovering, Lydon said it was a stressful situation.

“They’re struggling dealing with the incident,” Lydon said. “There is some level of relief she’s doing well, but that does not relieve all the stress of the incident occurring. No one goes to work and expects something like that to occur.”

Lydon said typically cones are set up near the lifeguard towers to establish a path for trucks to maneuver up and down the beach, but it is unclear if the 4-year-old was in this pathway or if the cones were already taken down for the beach’s closure at the time of the incident.

Lydon confirmed the lifeguards are not on administrative leave, but they do have days off.

The driver has been a seasonal part-time lifeguard with CFD for two years, and the other lifeguard has been with the department for one year, Lydon told NBC 7.

The Coronado Police Department is conducting an accident investigation in addition to an internal investigation, because the truck involved is owned by the city.

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