MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A surfer was rescued from rough waters after he was spotted in distress off South Beach.
With rough conditions and wind, a Good Samaritan said he’s thankful he was in the right place at the right time to get that surfer the help that he needed on Sunday afternoon.
Cellphone video recorded near South Pointe Park Pier captured the surfer struggling in rough waters.
The man who took the video, Jawad Aflak, said he was out for his weekly run when he spotted the man in distress.
Aflak said he first saw a surfboard fly up in the air, only to realize that it was attached to a surfer who was in the water getting pounded by the waves and being pushed up against the rocks.
The good Samaritan said he noticed that the surfer was unable to stand, and he and other witnesses on shore alerted emergency responders.
Meanwhile, Aflak said, he tried to keep contact with the surfer to let him know that help was on the way.
“The waves didn’t give him even a minute to take a break, to be honest. About like five minutes it was like that, but I mean, yeah, five minutes is not a lot of time, but being in that situation with the anxiety he had, with the stress he had and all of that, and being hitting the rocks real bad, I hope he didn’t get wounded, because that was very, very, very tough,” he said.
Aflak said the surfer was out there for about five to 10 minutes, adding he is very thankful for the quick response from first responders.
The identity of that surfer is unknown, but he was brought to safety. As of Monday afternoon, his current condition is unknown.
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