Two minutes of terror: Incredible footage watched by millions shows swimmer cheat death after jumping into calm sea that suddenly swirls around him and smashes him into rocks before miracle escape

This incredible footage shows a thrill seeker trying to get as close to drowning as possible – only saved when a crashing wave washes him to safety on a rock.

The mystery man was coastal sailing – moving along a rocky coastline by jumping and swimming from high cliffs into the sea and then climbing back up – in South Africa.

But here on Llandudno Beach near Cape Town he jumped 10 meters off a granite boulder into the calm but icy sea, but within seconds it turned into an almost deadly swell.

As the adrenaline junkie headed into what he thought was a rock-surrounded take-off point, he was battered by huge four-foot waves crashing in from all sides.

The daredevil soon realizes he's in trouble when he's knocked forward by a powerful breaker, only to be sucked back out by the current that pounds him like a cork.

It can be seen spinning in a vortex caused by currents coming from all directions in what is known as a 'washing machine', which threatens to pull it under.

Video showed the man jumping into the calm ocean at Llandudno beach near Cape Town, South Africa

The man caused a large splash after jumping into the sea, before being pulled into a whirlpool

Suddenly he was swept away by the foaming sea, by dangerous rocks

He gets a last minute reprieve as the water rushes out and his bare feet touch the razor-sharp reefs below and he tries to climb up a sheer rock face.

Then 2 large foaming breakers struck hard from behind and the side in a pincer motion and plucked him from the rocks and sucked him underwater through a jagged channel.

The tombstoner is dragged helplessly into deep water and falls into a six- to eight-foot swell as he swims for his life, aided by the buoyancy of his wet suit.

He can be seen by his friends filming the drama on a mobile phone as they try to return to the safety of the rocks from Llandudno's relentless sea currents.

In the past year, a 17-year-old boy, a 15-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy all drowned along that rocky coastline notorious for strong currents.

But this cliff jumper, who is clearly tiring quickly as the icy water saps his energy, finally gets a stroke of luck when a wave helps push him to shore.

As he is washed up on the barnacle-encrusted granite, he falls to his hands and knees, but fortunately another big wave doesn't crash forward and drag him back out.

The 2 minute and 29 second video will have lasted a lifetime for the lucky cliff jumper.

A lifeboatman from the National Sea Rescue Institution who watched the video said: 'That was his lucky day as most swimmers would not have come out of that situation alive.

'He is clearly a strong and powerful swimmer and doesn't make the mistake of fighting the waves but goes where they take him and that saved him from drowning.

'But he was still helpless against the force of the waves and was lucky not to be knocked into the rocks because if he had hit his head it would have been game over.

“That is a dangerous stretch of coast and many lives have been lost over the years because people underestimated the cold and the strength of the current,” he said.

The video has gone viral on Twitter and has been viewed more than 6.6 million times. Almost everyone agreed that the swimmer was extremely lucky not to have become a 'statistic'.

PatriotPie203 said: “Man, that was close. Look how tired he was at the end. If he was hit again by a wave that sucked him back, he would meet Poseidon.

ViktorGavorn said: 'This could easily be a video of him dying. He was lucky when he landed back on the rocks. He's an idiot, but I'm glad he's okay. He needs to learn his lesson.”

Jezza said, “That was survival. He almost didn't make it. The waves were heavy as soon as he got close to the rocks. Most would have drowned in that sea.”

The cameraman could only watch as the daredevil was swept away in the current

He can be seen by his friends filming the drama on a mobile phone as he tries to return to the safety of the rocks from Llandudno's relentless sea currents.

Finally the man manages to escape the swirling current and retreats safely to the beach

Exhausted, he falls to his knees on the beach after barely surviving the ordeal

The record height for a cliff jump is 60 meters and is held by Brazilian Laso Schaller, 35, who jumped from a Swiss waterfall in 2015 and hit the water below at 120 km/h.

Llandudno is a resort for the super rich and Prince Harry and Cliff Richard and Elton John have all stayed there and David Beckham almost bought an ocean house there.

It is a 20-minute drive from Cape Town and is known for its surfing and nudist beach Sandy Bay and local regulations prohibit the opening of pubs, restaurants or shops.