Drowning 20-year-old man airlifted from Stinson Beach

A 20-year-old man at Stinson Beach nearly drowned and was airlifted to John Muir Hospital on Wednesday. A 20-year-old man at Stinson Beach nearly drowned and was airlifted to John Muir Hospital on Wednesday. Photo: CHP Golden Gate Air Division Photo: CHP Golden Gate Air Division Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Drowning 20-year-old man airlifted from Stinson Beach 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A 20-year-old man nearly drowned while swimming at Stinson Beach, and needed to be airlifted to John Muir Hospital in Walnut Creek.

The California Highway Patrol wrote in a Wednesday night Facebook post that the man was unresponsive after being pulled from the water, and a helicopter landed on the beach and flew him to the hospital. He was alert and speaking when the helicopter crew left John Muir.

Stinson Beach's parking lots are currently closed after crowds flooded the beach two weekends ago in defiance of Marin County's social distancing guidelines. The county then closed over 18,000 acres in federal, state and local parks, including the parking lots at Stinson.

The beach itself is part of the National Park Service, and is technically still open. Public health officials urge individuals not to congregate at the beach.

“They are experiencing typical summer crowds or even bigger,” Sgt. Brenton Schneider of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said of the county's parks and beaches. “This is creating unsafe conditions for employees working at businesses that are staying open because they are deemed essential. Those workers are being overwhelmed and they are fearful about all the close contact that they’re witnessing.”

Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting