Man feared dead after rescue effort at Oceanside Pier

OCEANSIDE - A 20-year-old man is presumed dead after going under the water at the Oceanside Pier early this morning just as rescue personnel approached.

Oceanside police and fire personnel responded to a report of a man in the water on the north side of the Oceanside Pier shortly after 3:30 a.m. As a rescue boat and a police rescue swimmer drew near, the man -- who was clinging to a pylon -- let go and disappeared beneath the water, according to an Oceanside Fire Department news release.

Rescue personnel, including the U.S. Coast Guard, searched the area for several hours. The victim's identity is being withheld pending family notification, according to Oceanside police.