Teen Girls Rescue Swimmers During Surf Contest (Video)

Over the weekend, USA Surfing’s East Coast Prime series went down in Jacksonville, Florida, featuring some of the country’s best up-and-coming surfers duking it out for the top spot on the podium.

But during the Girls Under 14 Final – which featured Estorya Martinez, Kendall Dimmick, Keira Soleau, and Annie Peters – something strange happened. A group of swimmers found themselves in trouble near the surfers, and mid-heat, the girls decided to help out. Check out the moment below.

The girls waived their arms, alerting folks about the situation, calling for help in the middle of their heat. They paddle over to the swimmers vigorously, putting the contest in the back of their minds, and instead, going to save the lives of the two swimmers bobbing in the lineup. Luckily, competition was put on pause during the rescue. From the judge’s tower, here’s what the announcer said:

“We are going to go on hold, girls. You can assist. We’ll be on hold. They’re really close to being able to touch.”

From there, the girls gave the swimmers their boards, and helped them to shore.

After the incident, USA Surfing commended the girls’ courage, their quick action, and their split-second decision to put the contest in the rearview, and focus on saving lives in its place.