CitizenK9
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Photographer Scott was capturing images of Cypress Beach in California when he spotted a person's head appearing and disappearing amid the violent waves, so he rushed to alert one of the lifeguards.
It turned out to be a 10-year-old boy who was riding the waves on his surfboard. The lifeguard grabbed hold of him, and despite the strength and ferocity of the waves, he clung to him tightly. Some people tried to help but were knocked down by the waves, so they backed away in fear. However, the lifeguard persisted until he rescued the boy.
The most thrilling part of the story is that the lifeguard was only in his first season on the job.
StabbyMcMurder
Oh, that's scary.
shameofslate
I go to the beach almost every week here in Southern California and the surf has been crazy high. I was on swim team in high school back in the day, and I still swim a mile every week,
Ticker1
I don't think a lot of people realize how difficult it is to save someone that is drowning. A person drowning is usually thrashing their arms and feet trying to stay above water and if that doesn't make it hard enough, they grab onto the first thing they can to push themselves up above water which is usually the person trying to rescue them. This is why so many people die trying to save someone that is drowning. Doing it in those waters makes it 100 times harder. My hat's off to the lifeguard
JackieTreehornProductions
Rip tides are the worst and quickest way to learn about the power of water. 5 feet can be the different between everything is fine to holy crap I'm gonna die. Fighting them is futile - learn how to go at an angle to them to slowly get out of them and when people jump in like this odds are someone else is going to need rescued also if they aren't careful. Bravo to the lifeguard - training works.
wadatahmydamie
If you’re gonna copy and paste the text (which you totally should), you should also copy and paste the link
ThatGuyFromJustSouthOfTheMiddleOfNowhere
That area is known for brutal rip currents.
TheJuiceLoosener
Wonder why...
morrighan42
https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/santa-cruz-seabright-beach-rescue-video/
demetriuscotton
25 rescues on Saturday alone, jfc
BeachsideBarghest
In Australia, they would close the goddamn beach! Who the fuck thinks that is safe for recreational swimmers?
Metallica93
Some brutal waters. God damn.
PrincessWasabi
Yeah I can’t imagine it started out that way, cause no way anyone looked at that and decided to get in the water
eldermae
They can’t catch a break! This is so terrifying to watch bc they come up only to be completely obliterated by the next wave a sec later - can’t believe they made it tbh.
JustSomePersonThere
Heyo those were some STURDY-looking men and Mother Nature ragdolled them with disinterest. The LG boy was built different.
relsky
I was an ocean lifeguard for 6 years and I cannot stress to you just how fucking scary this is. Relentless waves like that are some of the most oppressive, overpowering energy most people will ever feel in their life.
If you see the surf this rough: Do. Not. Go. In. It isn't worth it.
joinha
Serious question here: if you can swim at all, is it not safer to go further outshore? no surfbreak, and you can just wait rescue there, even if it's a boat.
Kazpur81S
Good lord
pullingsixty
Assuming a ten year old is not there by himself, how on earth was he allowed to go into that violent surf??
osser
The power of the ocean is not to be underestimated.
divingin
True, but you also can't understand the energy that water contains until you experience it.
osser
Trust me I’m experienced. Hence my comment
divingin
Wasn't directed at you. It was to explain why this situation happens so often.
martysmoon
The camera man (or woman) had one job! and they did it really well. Holy shit.
Whoisthisdoctorwho2000
"Lol, get wrecked" ... the Sea probably
ssumner13
It’s Called Seabright State Beach near the Cypress Ave. and East Cliff drive. I live in the area
Subwayfootlong3
Someone get that kid a towel or some new shorts
herejusttopointouterrors
either, really. looks like he was naked from the waist down.
BallsLikeWatermelonsPeckerLikeAThimble
Holy shit those waves. I wouldn’t last 10 seconds.
GroovyCrowley
Is Scott working for national geographic?
IAmNotNSAsodonotbeparanoid
Holy shiiiiit! That'sa brave young man!
TheDildoOfConsequences
It looks to me like he knew the water, knew the conditions and knew what he could do. So I'd say a strong and sound young man rather than a brave one. Which is just as much of a compliment.
SarcasticComment
Also shows that while you have good intentions, jumping in without training/surf knowledge can quickly make the situation worse. They almost had 2 victims when the bystander thought to join
philmoregraves
Ive never faced off against waves that strong with the rip current, but much smaller ones have definetly given me a run for my money standing up. That kid got balls of steel and the power of youth (and maybe ignorance of fear) on his side. Bravo to those lending what assistance they could. Thicker floatables and rope can help immensely here
wetsquirrel
Some heros wear orange shorts.
GringaGuanaca
My sister and nephew and I got caught in a riptide a few weeks ago at an Atlantic coast beach and the lifeguards rescued us before we'd even completely figured out what was happening. So grateful for them!
herejusttopointouterrors
Real HEROES wear red ones.
sweetandsmokey
The actual color is very bright red with orange undertones.
rlrobles52
Most of us would have brown shorts
WhiteRhino723
Damn near shit myself watching this. I don't know what phobia it is exactly but the one where I, against my better judgement, will climb a mountain of living children to save myself from downing... Is the phobia I have. I experienced some traumatic shit in pools as a kid and as much as I'd like to believe I'd be the guy to put women and children before me in any situation... when it comes to drowning, I know deep inside I'll go down like a bitch.
WhiteRhino723
Kids a fuckin hero and an infinitely better human than I'll ever be.
HULKSMASHBettycrylatherrinserepeat
Seabright Beach, not Cypress. They've been warning about sneaker waves for the last month, fun for surfing but dangerous and that beach has some nasty rip currents. All that said, great work by this young lifeguard, one thing they do right around here is the junior guards program!
MelfsAcidArrow
Yeah the sneakers have been rough. We were there just after the 4th
Atlasguitar
Yeah as a local, I was gonna say never heard of Cypress beach...
firefighter26
I was beginning to wonder how many of those bystanders where going end up and secondary victims. I assume the reason the lifeguard was ducking down before each wave as to get under the water before the force of the wave hit?
EmeraldLight
Yup. It may push you back a little, but not as much as it would if you took it to the chest
SubiBryant
Did AI write this? Sure feels like it.
Muffinburgler
We don't have a beach named Cypress Beach in Santa Cruz so I'm saying yes.
nikinnorway12
I mean, it feels like it was written by somebody who writes at a basic college level. That's it. We get so used to seeing bad writing on the internet so we accuse everything of being AI. But it could be AI, who knows.
netutoring
Speaking as someone who can't swim/float, this is something I'll never do... but who lets a 10 year old even go out on the ocean on a board without heavy supervision? Am I just letting my own nerves project being overly cautious or....?
Muffinburgler
I'm sure he was supervised. But the water moves faster than parents.
IDownVoteJerks
The 90s and the 00s were a different time but we were let loose on the ocean with our parents chilling on the beach. They assume of we can swim, we’d be fine. I’m guessing a similar instance here, those waves to too brutal for even an experienced swimmer.
Most parents I know now would have pulled him back in when the waves started to get intense or have him in a lifejacket incase he gets pulled out to sea.
netutoring
Thank you for the knowledgeable response!:) Are helmets becoming standard, too? If I ever got on a boat again, I doubtless would wear one anyway, but I do wonder if that's standard now! Thanks again!
paeches
first of all, i highly recommend swimming lessons. it doesn't take much time nor much water to drown in, and water is everywhere. after the lessons, you don't have to get in the water on purpose ever again, but you will be much better prepared if any accidents happen.
and no, not overly cautious. that's crazy to let a kid go in. even if the kid is a very strong swimmer. theoretically, a strong swimmer would know their limits and make better decisions on their own.
stay safe, friend!
netutoring
I don't know, I've had many people try and they all marvel at my body's remarkable ability to plummet like a stone:) But yes, I absolutely agree!
GrandmasterSpank
Mutliple people helping. Sure some are not able to, but clearly show they WANT to help. I like that a lot. People can be so good if they want to.
zygiella
Always look for the helpers
DragonThunderUndertaking
It's natural to form communities and protect and aid each other. It's all the false scarcity and various outside influences that have killed what is essentially a natural instinct for us. Just look at the lowering birthrates world wide. They've killed something in the human creature, those of us that it's still alive in suffer for it needlessly.
gablestout
Looks like they were forming a human chain. Anchored on the beach, everyone links hands, last one grabs the lifeguard/kid, and they all walk up together
makesense
True, but especially when rip tides hit plenty of people who think they are helping are actually just as inexperienced on how to get back to shore safely and themselves need rescue.
YouRadicalizedMe
A human chain would have worked well
manhands
People tend to live up to expectations. Build a community that expects goodness and suddenly people become good(er). What’s insane to me in American culture is how little we teach ethics and how little we expect from people. I think American society is built on the idea everyone is going to Church, so ethics is covered. It isn’t. It wasn’t.
CloseupCaptionReaction
A lot of pale also getting themselves into trouble. All our need is bad luck and the lifeguard can't help 2 pale at once.
Lowland
As long as they know when to call quits. Every year people drown resqueing others
fartser
Read an article about 5 people drowning while helping somone else just a couple weeks ago
SergeyPrkl
Yeah this came to my mind too
CongratsYouAreHereNow
Exactly correct. Don’t drown the rescuer and don’t become an additional victim requiring saving
Fanner50
That’s why you’re taught the order of actions being Reach, Throw, Row, Go.
andexer
Rule 1: don't become the next casualty
CongratsYouAreHereNow
Or cause it