Terrifying video shows the moment a massive wave off California’s coast capsized a boat and threw its occupants, a family of six, into the water earlier this month.
The family, made up of two parents and their children, were rescued by surfers who happened to be nearby when the boat went hull up on February 6. The surfers are being hailed as heroes for pulling the injured family out of the water.
The crash happened at Steamer Lane, a popular surfing spot off the coast of Santa Cruz. One of the surfers who reacted to save the people in distress was Darryl “Flea” Virostko, a big wave surfer and three-time winner of the lauded Mavericks competition.
“I knew right away the wave was going to get him, you know, and when it hit him, we all just kind of kicked into action and just like, we got to find these guys,” Virostko later told local media.
The four children were wearing life jackets, but the parents were not, according to KSBW.
