A 53-year-old man was rescued from the Pacific Ocean off Southern California after spending roughly 16 hours missing in the water following a jet ski accident. Paul Anthony Carbullido Jr. was found Monday morning approximately 2.5 miles from the Seal Beach Pier after a Coast Guard helicopter spotted him offshore. The dramatic discovery brought an end to an overnight search that began after Carbullido and a woman reportedly fell from their jet skis and could not get back aboard.

The emergency began Sunday evening when a Good Samaritan heard a woman yelling for help in the water and called 911. Lifeguards responded and rescued the woman around 10:30 p.m., roughly an hour after she became stranded. Carbullido, however, was still missing, leaving rescuers facing a far more difficult search as darkness settled over the ocean.

Search crews later located the two abandoned jet skis at approximately 1:45 a.m., but there was no immediate sign of Carbullido. The discovery of the watercraft intensified concerns about his whereabouts, as rescuers had no clear indication of where he had drifted. Hours later, a Coast Guard helicopter finally spotted him in the ocean near Seal Beach, allowing a rescue swimmer to reach him and bring him safely back to shore.

Carbullido was rescued around 11 a.m. Monday and taken ashore for medical evaluation after spending the night exposed to the Pacific waters. Paramedics treated him for mild hypothermia, although reports said he was otherwise in stable condition. The rescue highlights the dangers of becoming separated from a personal watercraft far offshore, while also underscoring how quickly a recreational outing can turn into a life-threatening emergency.