Woman assaulted, thrown off lifeguard tower on Carlsbad beach

CARLSBAD, Calif. (KGTV) — A Carlsbad woman shared her story with ABC 10News after she was thrown off a 7-foot high lifeguard tower at night at the beach.

On July 3, before 10 p.m., Zoe Saavedra, 23, says she and two girlfriends decided to hang out on the unmanned lifeguard Tower 4, off Carlsbad Village Drive.

“We were all sitting on the platform near the top of the ladder. Just talking and enjoying the night,” said Saavedra.

Minutes before 10 p.m., Saavedra says a man in his 30s started barking at two kids for riding eBikes in the sand.

“He comes up to the kids, yelling at them. He’s holding a drink, slurring his words, not making sense,” said Saavedra.

Saavedra says after he chased off the kids, the man turned and started yelling at her group and yelling about women.

“He said, ’This is what's wrong with women; no logical conversation.' … We asked him to leave us alone. He said, ‘Oh yeah? What are you doing to do about it?’ and started walking up the ladder toward us,” said Saavedra.

Saavedra says at the top of the 7-foot-high platform, the man moved toward one of her friends.

“I get in the middle of them to create distance, told him again to back off…That’s when he grabbed my jacket and threw me off the lifeguard tower,” said Saavedra.

Saavedra says she landed about five feet from the tower in the hard sand.

“I hit my head in the sand and remember laying on my back, not being able to breathe,” said Saavedra.

Saavedra suffered a collapsed lung and bruised ribs but is expected to make a full recovery.

She hopes by sharing her story and appealing for tips, she'll help track down her attacker.

“The look in his eyes was angry and hateful. I definitely see him doing this again,” said Saavedra.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Carlsbad Police at 760-931-2197.