A young boy bodyboarding off Crooklets Beach in Bude, Cornwall, UK, encountered a rip current and was pushed out to sea. He screamed for help. Joby Wolfenden-Brown, a lifeguard working for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, jumped into the water to save him.
Wolfenden-Brown was wearing a camera at that moment. Watch this heart-pounding footage of him saving the boy from drowning.
(Image: NOAA)
What's are rip currents? The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US) defines them as "narrow, and sometimes strong, currents that flow away from the beach." They can go faster than 6 miles an hour, and thus are dangerous to even strong swimmers.
What should you do if you find yourself in a rip current? RNLI lifeguard Chris Wafer advises:
If you're stuck in a rip current do not panic or swim against the current, keep hold of your flotation device and raise your arm to signal for help.
-via Twisted Sifter