Friend of S.F. man who died rescuing his dog at Ocean Beach dumbfounded by fatal collapse

San Francisco Chronicle​

15-05-2025

From the foggy shore of Ocean Beach last Thursday, Garbo Chang texted a close friend a picture of his beloved dog, Benji, happily trotting across the sand. It would be the last time his friend would ever hear from him.
Less than 20 minutes later, two women who were at the beach described seeing Chang run into the water to rescue Benji from the surf line before the man suddenly collapsed. Though the witnesses were able to get him to shore and paramedics arrived quickly, Chang did not survive.
San Francisco fire officials said Chang, 59, died at a local hospital on May 8. A cause of death has still not been released and could take months as officials await the results of an official autopsy.
Benji, his beloved Australian Kelpie, was able to exit the water on his own and was uninjured. He is currently being housed in Animal Care of Control, said Mitchell Bakst, Chang's friend who was texting him at the beach.
'I'm at a total loss for understanding … what happened,' said Bakst, who was close friends with Chang at the time of his death and was his romantic partner for more than 15 years.
According to Bakst, Chang did not have a heart condition, or any preexisting medical conditions that could conceivably explain his sudden collapse. Chang did not know how to swim, Bakst said.
'I can't imagine he would go in much beyond his waist,' said Bakst. 'He feared being in water.'
The last text Bakst received from Chang was at 1:51 p.m. His rescuers told fire officials that they saw him collapse around 2:08 p.m. That afternoon, Bakst said, Chang had taken off work because he had completed jury service the day before.
Taking Benji out for some kind of adventure or special exercise was an everyday activity for Chang, who adopted Benji around two years ago, Bakst said. Because the canine had separation anxiety, Chang took him everywhere, including to work.
'Benji was treated like a king, like royalty,' said Bakst, who said Chang outfitted Benji with a wardrobe of clothes and fed him a mostly raw diet. Bakst described Chang as an incredibly 'giving, kind and generous person' who would do anything for those he loved, and Benji in particular.
'It's somehow so fitting that Garbo gave his life trying to save another life,' Bakst said.
Chang was born in Hong Kong, where he left when he was a teenager. He moved to Canada before arriving in San Francisco, Bakst said. Chang had worked at Caritas Management Corporation, a property management company in San Francisco, for more than a decade.
Chang had an affinity for art and Japanese antiques in particular, said Bakst. For a time, Chang sold handmade greeting cards, but had otherwise turned most of his attention to Benji.
'To think of this poor dog that had about two years in Garbo's care and now is back on a cement floor, behind a cage — it's just awful,' Bakst said.
In recent months, Chang told friends about his desire to retire early. He hoped to spend more time with Benji, whom he had been training to help with his separation anxiety.
'(Chang) told me Benji was making good progress,' said Bakst. 'He did everything to give that dog a good life.'