Dramatic Video: Kite Surfing Olympian Saves Drowning Woman

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jan 14, 2025 4:53 PM ET

During a training session in São Luís, Brazil on January 10th, Olympic kite surfer Bruno Lobo coasted into a crisis unfolding before his eyes. A woman was drowning, floating adrift in the sea. Lobo sprang into action, dismounting from his kite setup, pulled the woman onto his back, and took her to safety.

Hero status.

Recounting the ordeal, Lobo wrote on Instagram:

“After sailing a few meters, I heard a cry for help and looked at the girl who was drowning. I quickly approached her with the kite. I tried to calm her down and asked to climb on my back. "She was quite tired and without strength. I used the equipment to bring her safely to the sand where the lifeguards performed the first aid at the seaside and thanks to God everything went well."

Lobo placed 7th during the Paris 2024 Games in the Men’s Formula Kite event, the first appearance for kiteboarding in the Olympics. He’s also a two-time Pan American Games champion in the Formula Kite Class and, when he’s not harnessing the wind or chasing medals, an orthopedic doctor.

Following the rescue, the woman who was drowning expressed her gratitude to Lobo:

"Words can't describe my gratitude! It was the salvation that God and my guides sent to me. I really could not handle it if I spent 5 minutes on the high sea even knowing how to swim and using anti-drowning techniques. Thank you very much and I wish you showers of blessings in your life."

And Lobo, for his part, remained humble about the incident, while offering advice:

“I only did what needed to be done and what was within my reach! Stay alert about the danger of the sea, rivers and anywhere you don't know because the current in some places is usually very strong!”

Still, Lobo was awarded a medal of bravery by the governor of the Brazilian state of Maranhão.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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