Spanish Visitor Rescues Elderly Man Who Jumped Off Venice Pier

An elderly man who jumped from the Venice Pier on Wednesday morning was rescued with the help of a Spanish visitor who leaped into the ocean to save him.

The man jumped about 9:28 a.m. as a group of people were admiring the 440-foot luxury yacht Serene anchored off Venice Beach, said Dan Pepper, an eyewitness at the scene. Pepper said he and Spanish visitor Jonathan LePage came up with a plan that called for LePage to strip down to his boxer shorts and jump in after the man, while Pepper would take responsibility for calling 911.

A Los Angeles Police Department helicopter and two LAPD patrol cars responded to the pier and helped coordinate efforts with the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Lifeguard Division, Pepper said

The man was pulled from the water about 9:37 a.m. and was taken to a hospital for examination, a lifeguard dispatcher said.

Pepper said LePage showed signs of hypothermia and was shaking wildly under blankets after the rescue. LePage and his friends from Fresno were in Los Angeles to attend the taping of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! show Thursday.