A surfer (illustration).
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Free-Photos / Pixabay
A movie-worthy rescue occurred Wednesday, February 17 on a New Zealand coast.
An injured surfer, stranded on a beach, was rescued after writing "Help" in the sand, reports
The New Zealand Herald
.
The 43-year-old was surfing alone that day off Karekare Beach, not far from Auckland, when he was caught by a wave.
His board slipped away and he hit rocks before being swept to another beach several kilometers away.
Injured in the leg, the 40-year-old tried to leave the beach, but the waves were too high to swim and the cliffs around too steep to climb.
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Spotted by two hikers
The man finally resolved to write a message in the sand.
As he wrote “Help”, two hikers in their thirties spotted him in the distance.
“We saw this man trying to write something in the sand with his leg,” one of the two women tells the
New Zealand Herald
.
“He finished writing and he collapsed on the sand.
"
The two thirty-something immediately alerted the emergency services.
Rescuers from the Surf Life Saving Club, who intervened, had some difficulty reaching the beach because of the violent waves.
The 40-year-old was eventually rescued and taken to hospital.
“I just went through a trying experience,” said the one who had just become a dad five days earlier.
“When I woke up this morning I felt very grateful and lucky to be alive.
The surfer also wanted to thank all the people who participated in his rescue.
“Without them, I might not be here today,” he said.
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