Crews with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department were called out for two separate water rescues in the early morning hours on Saturday, May 8.
The first call came in at around 2 a.m.
Fire officials say two students in their early 20s fashioned a boat out of 20 Home Depot buckets, plywood, duct tape, and two plastic kiddie pools, then set off from the beach in Isla Vista.
While they had a paddle, the tide apparently carried them too far offshore and they were unable to get back to the beach on their own.
Someone spotted them and called authorities.
Fire officials say crews were able to reach the young men and bring them safely back to shore in about a half-hour.
No one was hurt, even though the water temperature was in the mid-50s and the men were not wearing wet suits.
Fire officials say alcohol was not involved.
Just before 4 a.m., firefighters were called to a water rescue at the Goleta Beach Pier.
They say a man in his 60s somehow became wedged between two wooden pilings near the boat hoist.
He had apparently been calling for help for hours but nobody heard him until a boat arrived to drop off oil platform workers.
The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of hypothermia.
