Rip Current Sucks Surfer Half-Mile Out to Sea in UK (Video)

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 7:52 PM ET

A surfer in Porthcrawl, a town in the United Kingdom hamlet of Wales, found himself in a tricky situation recently – sucked out to sea by a rip current.

Ben Fraser, 30, was out in the water when the conditions got dicey. Even for Fraser, who has been surfing for 15 years, the gale force winds coupled with raging rip currents, were just too much. Luckily, rescue crews were nearby and jumped into action.

Check out the dramatic rescue footage below, as executed by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI):

A dogwalker on the shore had spotted Fraser, and called in the emergency. That’s when the RNLI assembled and executed the rescue.

Fraser had been sucked a half-mile out to sea by the time he got rescued. In the footage, once the rescue boat reaches him, he’s surrounded by an abyss of choppy waters. And he’s clearly fatigued. “I’m so sorry,” he says. But the crew brushes it off.

Speaking to Sky News about the situation, Fraser said: "I attempted to get onto the rocks at the cliffs, but soon realized it was too dangerous.”

He continued:

"Although I felt pretty calm, I knew I couldn't get back to the beach myself and that the light was fading fast, which might have made it harder for people to spot me or for the lifeboat to find me. I want to say a huge thank you to the lady that saw me wave and called 999 for the Coastguard, her quick thinking meant the lifeboat reached me before it was dark."

As for the rescue team, Gareth Collins of Porthcawl RNLI said the crews "rescue people without judgement." He also added that even the most experienced surfers and swimmers occasionally find themselves in trouble. Mother nature does not discriminate.

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

More must-reads: