A 33-year-old DJ is recovering from life-threatening injuries after he was stabbed while defending two women being assaulted at Pepper Park boat dock earlier this month.
Police said the incident happened on Sept. 6 around 9:30 p.m. after a yacht birthday party. As he packed up his gear, Ricky Haynes heard screams and saw several men attacking two women, including pushing them into the water.
“I pushed two guys off the girls,” Haynes recalled. Moments later, he was shoved into the water and stabbed in the chest as he tried to climb back onto the dock. The wound punctured his lung and broke a rib, coming within inches of his heart.
More than 10 attackers fled the scene in vehicles before officers arrived. Haynes was rushed to the hospital and is expected to spend months recovering.
Despite the ordeal, he says he does not regret stepping in: “It was the right thing to do. Those girls could have gotten killed.”
National City police said the fight began after one woman accidentally bumped into another from the opposing group.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help with Haynes’ medical expenses. Authorities are urging anyone with information to call the National City Police investigations division at 619-336-4460.
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