Oceanside, California — A California woman was recording unusually powerful waves along the San Diego County coastline when she witnessed a surfer get slammed into rocks by a massive wave and disappear beneath the water. Moments later, she rushed into the dangerous surf and held the unconscious man’s head above the surface until other rescuers arrived.
Benita Karo, 39, was walking along the beach in Oceanside on the morning of Sept. 26 when she stopped to watch the unusually large waves pounding the coastline.
Karo, who lives in nearby Carlsbad, had grabbed a coffee and was getting ready for her daughter’s 14th birthday party later that day. She pulled out her phone to record the powerful surf, unaware that she was about to witness a frightening emergency.
She Saw the Wave Before the Surfer Did
Karo told the California Post that she noticed a surfer carrying his board as he attempted to make his way out of the water. Behind him, however, an enormous wave was quickly approaching. Karo said the surfer apparently did not see it coming.
“I see the wave. He doesn’t see it. It’s massive, and it just hits him, and he didn’t even see it coming,” Karo told the Post.
The force of the wave sent the man crashing into the rocks. Karo immediately started running toward the water, watching closely for the surfer to resurface. But he did not. As she moved closer, Karo realized the situation was much more serious than she initially feared.
“When I got closer, I saw him upside down, face down in the water, not awake at all. Like he was knocked out,” Karo said.
She Jumped Into the Rough Ocean
Without waiting for emergency crews to arrive, Karo entered the turbulent water.
She was still fully clothed when she jumped into the ocean and reached the injured surfer. With waves continuing to crash against the rocks and the seawall, she grabbed him and worked to keep his head above the surface.
“I sat there with him, holding him, just trying to keep his head above water,” she said.
The conditions made the rescue particularly dangerous. The powerful surf continued moving around both Karo and the injured surfer while she tried to keep him from slipping beneath the water again. Eventually, another surfer spotted the pair.
People staying at a nearby beach house also noticed what was happening and rushed toward the shoreline to help.
Group Rescue Gets Surfer to Shore
Working together, the rescuers were eventually able to pull the injured surfer out of the water and onto the beach. Emergency crews arrived shortly afterward and began treating the man.
Responders cut away part of his wetsuit before placing him onto a gurney and transporting him for further medical care. Karo said the man appeared to be trying to breathe and had water coming from his mouth.
“He was definitely breathing,” Karo said.
The surfer’s condition following the rescue was not provided in the account.
Rescue Left Karo With Her Own Injuries
Karo did not emerge from the rescue without injuries of her own. She told the California Post that she suffered scratches and injuries to her toe, face and back while making her way through the rocky water.
Despite the injuries, she continued holding the surfer above the surface until additional help arrived. The experience also brought back memories from Karo’s teenage years, when she worked as a lifeguard at a water park.
That experience had taught her how to respond during an emergency, but she said rescuing someone in the open ocean was completely different.
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“You Just Can’t Turn Off the Waves”
Karo recalled working at a water park when she was 15 years old, where she was familiar with a wave pool that could be shut down during an emergency. The Pacific Ocean offered no such option.
“At the ocean, you just can’t turn off the waves; they just keep coming,” she said.
The rescue unfolded as dangerous surf conditions were affecting parts of the Pacific, with powerful weather systems developing farther south.
At the time, Hurricane Polo was strengthening near Baja California, with the storm bringing the potential for dangerous surf and coastal impacts. The powerful system was forecast to affect Baja California Sur as it moved toward the region.
For Karo, however, the immediate danger was much closer to home.
What began as a quiet morning walk and a quick video of unusually large waves suddenly turned into a life-threatening ocean rescue.
Her decision to enter the water ultimately helped keep the unconscious surfer’s head above the surface until other people could reach them and emergency crews could take over.
What would you have done if you witnessed someone being pulled under by a massive wave? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know what you think about Karo’s daring rescue.
