When Malibu witnessed giant waves in 2014, even after hurricane Marie subsided, surfers flocked to surf the massive swells. Many surfers took on the 15-foot waves on their surfboards. Big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton was no exception. However, he probably didn’t imagine he’d have to jump to the rescue of a fellow surfer.

Laird and other surfers hit the beach early in the morning on Aug 27, 2014. However, Laird saw a man frantically waving. A man struggled to stay afloat while massive swells pounded him. Without hesitation, the big-wave surfing legend grabbed his board and swam out.

When the surfer turned into the savior

Around 8:30 a.m., a surfer who had swum out to surf the mammoth waves lost his surfboard. Laird and two other men spotted the drowning surfer south of the pier. The surfing legend didn’t waste time and jumped into the rough sea to rescue the man. “He got swept, just got swept down towards the rocks, and then another surfer ran out,” said an eyewitness.

“Laird grabbed his fins, swam out to him, and brought him back in,” told the eye witness Bo Bridges. By the time an L. A. Country Lifeguard jet ski reached them, Hamilton, with the help of two others, had already saved the man from drowning. “Oh, he was happy, he was thankful,” Hamilton told the press after the daring rescue. 

Laird didn’t just master surfing big waves, he also mastered breathing and swimming. “I recently began a breathing practice… it’s made sprints, strength training, and swimming seem more effortless,” Laird once wrote in Men’s Journal. 

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However, the incident didn’t deter the influx of surfers to Malibu. Surfer Jackson Patrick also caught the swells on Aug 27. He told the press surfing on the big waves was the best experience ever.

Laird Hamilton couldn’t be everywhere at once

While Hamilton heroically saved the man, many others got into precarious situations. On Aug 27, 2014, the authorities had to rescue 65 people. Despite authorities warning people not to go into the ocean, hundreds of people flocked to Malibu. The massive waves didn’t subside for days, and authorities rescued more people.

Hamilton was among hundreds of daredevil surfers who braved the massive waves. “These are the days I wait for, all my life,” Hamilton told the press.

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The surfing legend didn’t fear for his life and bravely came to the surfer’s rescue.