A teenage surfer saved two fishermen who were swept away by a huge wave in New Jersey.
Cooper Lysinger, 18, of Ocean City, is a freshman nursing student at Stockton University and an experienced surfer who was participating in another surf competition at Avalon Jetty in Avalon, New Jersey, on October 20.
As he watched the rest of the competition from a spot on the beach after he finished his own heat, a huge wave caught his attention: a wave that swept two fishermen over the jetty and into the treacherous waters below.
“I knew they were in danger,” Lysinger said. I need to know. “My instincts took over and I ran towards the beach as fast as I could.”
The two men had been fishing off a fishing pier at the 8 Street Avalon Fishing Pier when they were swept away by the waves.
Cooper Lysinger, 18, of Ocean City, New Jersey, saved two fishermen who were swept away by a huge wave after jumping into the action with his surfboard.
In the footage, Lysinger can be seen paddling quickly towards the man who was clearly struggling to keep his head and arms above the water.
As he approached the man, he was able to grab him and drag him to the safety of his own surfboard.
Heart-stopping footage captured by Jordan Geller, Lysinger’s teacher, showed the teenager bravely paddling towards one of the men who was clearly struggling to keep his head and arms above the water as the waves battered him.
As Lysinger paddled close to the man, another powerful wave swept over them both, plunging the fisherman underwater once again.
“I paddled over to one and when I got closer I could see it was definitely shaking,” Lysinger added. “I threw it on the board and let the waves take us away.”
While the teenager managed to get the fisherman onto the safety of his surfboard, other surfers began heading towards Lysinger in an attempt to help.
The second fisherman, although not seen in the images, was rescued on the other side of the rocks.
If not for the heroic college student, the fishermen might have met a very different fate.
Lysinger is a first-year nursing student at Stockton University and an experienced surfer.
Other surfers were then seen in the footage paddling towards Lysinger in an attempt to help.
Lysinger noticed how the man began to sink rapidly because he was wearing wellies that filled with water.
“My boy needed to be rescued because he was wearing wellies and they filled with water,” Lysinger said. “This caused him to sink and also made it much more difficult for him to swim.”
But fortunately, both men returned safely to shore after the horrific experience.
“They were fine, but they seemed a little taken aback 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 garnered more than 20,000 views and 400 likes.
“Absolutely wild rescue today during the contest at Avalon Jetty,” he captioned the video. “Happy the fisherman and everyone else involved was okay.”
‘It was a fun day though!’ the title continued. ‘I surfed 4 times, went to Wawa 4 times, and answered about 4 statistics questions. A successful day with friends.’
Fans took to the comments to applaud the 18-year-old for his bravery and ability to act quickly when danger was near.
‘We were on the beach last Sunday in Avalon when this happened. Quick response from those guys! Great job!’ one viewer wrote.
‘Superstar in every aspect! Way to go, Cooper!’ wrote another.
Lysinger’s mother, Lisa, even took to the comments, writing, ‘That’s my son! I am the proudest mom ever. It continues to surprise me at every step. What a fantastic young man!’ which was accompanied by a red heart emoji.
Last October, Stockton University posted several photos of Lysinger on Instagram and wrote in the caption that the teen wakes up before dawn for ocean study sessions for his Science of Wave Prediction class taking place at the university.
The publication also noted that Lysinger decided to continue her education after high school and study nursing because she wanted a career that would allow her to help people.
After saving two lives, it seems he’s already halfway to his goal.