From Jaws to Soul Surfer, we've all seen what happens when a beach day takes a turn for the worse. On Thursday, when a 68-year-old man set out to surf in Puerto Rico, he ended up hitting a lot more than just the waves. However, with the help of the Coast Guard, which rescued him on Friday, he made it out alive.
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But not without trial and error. It took them 30 long hours to find him, according to CBS News.
The man's daughter had been staying with him at their Airbnb near Surfer's Beach in Aguandilla. Obviously, the girl was terrified for his safety. An emotional phone call with the Guard after he was found tells you everything you need to know about how she was feeling.
After finding the man in a reef, Captain Robert Styles called and shared the news. "I'm sure he's dehydrated, I'm sure he's had a rough night, but he's conversant. We're gonna have paramedics standing by to check him out but he's alive and well." The man's daughter was beyond relieved. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much," she said, overwhelmed. "Thank you so much! Thank you so much for what you do for him."
Obviously, this kind of outcome is everyone's worst fear when it comes to taking a dip in the ocean. However, we're glad the man was able to make it out safe and home to his family and dry land.
How the Coast Guard Rescued This Man From Near Disaster
After reading this story, you might be wondering, what exactly happens when someone gets lost at sea? What measures can be taken to help bring them back to shore?
In this situation, it took several groups of people to help find the man, according to the U.S. Coast Guard News. The Puerto Rico Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, and local emergency responders all tag-teamed with the Coast Guard to cover as much ground as possible and examine all potential places the man could have drifted off to.
Using an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter, the Coast Guard searched the shoreline north of Aguandilla until they found the man lying on rocks near Surfer's Beach. He appeared to be alive, trying to get the aircraft's attention as it flew by. Since he was surrounded by reefs that made him difficult to reach, the crew had to hoist him into the helicopter. It was after that that the phone call was made.
In this video, you can see the man being hoisted up into the aircraft and hear the phone call between the Coast Guard official and the man's daughter.
