A teenage surfer saved two fishermen from being swept away by a huge wave in New Jersey.
Cooper Lysinger, 18, of Ocean City, is a freshman nursing major at Stockton University and a seasoned surfer who competed in yet another surfing competition on October 20 at Avalon Jetty in Avalon, New Jersey.
As he watched the rest of the match from a spot on the beach after his own heat ended, a huge wave caught his attention – a wave that washed two fishermen over the dock and into the treacherous water below.
“I knew they were in danger,” Lysinger said Need to know. ‘My instincts took over and I sprinted to the beach as fast as I could.’
The two men were fishing on a fishing pier at the 8 Street Avalon fishing pier when they were swept into the surf.
Cooper Lysinger, 18, of Ocean City, New Jersey, saved two fishermen who were swept away by a huge wave after jumping into action with his surfboard
The footage shows Lysinger quickly paddling towards the man who was clearly struggling to keep his head and arms above water.
As he approached the man, he was able to grab him and drag him to the safety of his own surfboard
Heartbreaking footage captured by Lysinger’s teacher Jordan Geller showed the teenager bravely paddling towards one of the men who was clearly struggling to keep his head and arms above water as the waves crashed into him.
As Lysinger paddled close to the man, another powerful wave washed over them both, swamping the fisherman again.
“I paddled over and as I got closer I could see he was clearly waving,” Lysinger added. “I threw it on the board and let the waves take us.”
As the teen successfully pulled the fisherman to safety on his surfboard, other surfers began heading toward Lysinger in an attempt to help.
The second fisherman, although not seen in the footage, was rescued on the other side of the rocks.
Without the heroic student, the fishermen might have faced a very different fate.
Lysinger is a freshman nursing major at Stockton University and a seasoned surfer
The footage then showed other surfers paddling towards Lysinger in an attempt to help
Lysinger noted how the man began to sink quickly because he was wearing waders that filled with water
“My husband had to be rescued because he was wearing waders and they were filling up with water,” Lysinger said. ‘This caused him to sink and this also made swimming a lot more difficult.’
But thankfully, both men were returned safely to shore after the horrific ordeal.
“They were fine, but seemed a little shaken by what had happened,” Lysinger added.
Lysinger, who regularly posts photos and videos from his surfing career on Instagram, shared the rescue video with his followers, which has since racked up more than 20,000 views and 400 likes.
“Definitely a wild save today during the game at Avalon Jetty,” he captioned the video. ‘Glad things went well for the fisherman and everyone else involved.’
‘It was a nice day!’ the caption continued. ‘Surfed 4 times, went to Wawa 4 times and completed about 4 statistics questions. Successful day with the homies.’
Fans took to the comments, applauding the 18-year-old boy for his bravery and ability to take quick action when danger was near.
“We were at the beach in Avalon last Sunday when this happened. Quick response from those guys! Great work!’ wrote one viewer.
‘Superstar in every way! Well done Cooper!’ wrote another.
Lysinger’s mother, Lisa, even responded to the comments, writing, “That’s my boy! I am the proudest mom ever. He continues to surprise me every time. What a fantastic young man!’ which was accompanied by a red heart emoji.
Last October, Stockton University posted several Instagram photos of Lysinger and wrote in the caption that the teen wakes up before dawn for study sessions in the ocean for his Science of Forecasting Waves class in college.
The post also noted that Lysinger chose to continue his education after high school and study nursing because he wanted a career where he could help people.
After saving two lives, it looks like he’s already halfway to his goal.