A US Marine veteran saved the life of a man who was caught in a rip tide in New Jersey. While filming a YouTube video of himself surfing with his family at Sea Bright Beach, 35-year-old Stephen Houser noticed Gabe McCabe in distress in the Atlantic Ocean. Mr Houser swiftly transformed his surfboard into a makeshift life raft, rescuing the struggling swimmer from the treacherous currents.
This dangerous incident occurred on September 3rd, when, despite the sunny weather attracting beachgoers, the lingering effects of Hurricane Idalia and other tropical storms had left the sea in a turbulent and rough state.
Watch the video here:
The Marine veteran told ABC News: "I've never experienced anything like this," McCabe said. "It just sucked; it zapped the energy right out of you. With those currents, it could have turned out really deadly, and just having that inflatable board that I had-a really buoyant board-right when Gabe grabbed onto that board, I knew I had him,".
Mr Houser said he has saved swimmers in the past and is a surfer, but he respects the water.
"I've been in rip currents before too; it's scary," he said. "Your first instinct is panic."
The news portal further reported that Mr Houser and Mr McCabe have formed a lifelong friendship, which holds special significance because Houser played a pivotal role in rescuing McCabe from the perilous surf, preventing a potential tragedy.
Although Mr McCabe was successfully rescued and brought to safety, tragically, two other individuals lost their lives to the powerful rip currents along the Jersey Shore.
