Wild footage emerged of a surfer being pummeled by massive waves at an Australian beach, prompting a water rescue attempt.
The scary incident took place near the rocks at Sydney’s Tamarama Beach and was captured on video by Bill Morris, who shared it on social media.
The video shows the surfer battling the forceful water, pushing him dangerously close to two huge vertical rocks known as ‘The Twins’.
As the waves repeatedly hammered him, the man struggled to swim away after losing his board, and desperately trying to stay above water.
Big waves prompt a water rescue
Lifeguard Luke Faddy from Bondi Rescue, witnessing the surfer’s struggle, quickly assessed the situation and called out to another bystander for assistance.
Faddy, armed only with his flippers and a rescue buoy slung over his shoulder, bravely dove into the water and swam towards the surfer.
Amidst the chaos, the person filming assured Faddy that the surfer was alright as he continued his tumultuous swim towards the man.
Eventually, the surfer managed to navigate over milder waves and make his way back to safety near Bronte Beach.
Morris explained that another man was in the water with the stray surfer during the ordeal.
They both found themselves caught up in the punishing waves after a large set broke one of the struggling surfer’s leash dangerously close to ‘The Twins’.
Lifeguard praised for attempted water rescue
Bruce Hopkins, Head of Waverly Council Lifeguards, praised Faddy’s swift response in coming to the surfer’s aid.
Hopkins issued a reminder to beachgoers, urging them not to swim against the current during such situations.
Instead, he advised people to actively float and pay attention to the water’s direction.
Tamarama Beach is known for its strong waves, and surfers often find themselves swept away by the immense force of the water which has caused a number of deaths.
Boat fires cause water rescue in Oyster Cove
One person was taken to the hospital after passengers on three boats had to jump into a San Francisco marina to escape ships on fire.
Firefighters responded to Oyster Cove Marina in South San Francisco after three boats caught ablaze on Wednesday morning.
Crews worked with multiple agencies to put out the flames, Deputy Chief Matt Samson told The San Francisco Standard.
One person was reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries and several passengers were rescued after jumping off the blazing ships.
Samson noted that four people were rescued from the water and the agency is investigating both the cause of the fire and if anyone lived on the boats. They found no immediate signs of foul play during the initial investigation.
The photos of the boat fires were posted by the fire department on X, formerly Twitter. The images showed clouds of smoke and the boats engulfed in flames.
