American pro surfer Evan Geiselman narrowly escaped the waves with his life Sunday, thanks to South African bodyboarding champion Andre Botha.
After dropping into a monstrous wave at the famed surf break Pipeline, on the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Oahu, 22-year-old Geiselman was thrown from his board and knocked unconscious.
Thatβs when Botha, who was bodyboarding nearby, jumped into lifeguard mode.
Warning: Some viewers may find the video disturbing.
The video above, filmed by Matt Castiglione, shows Geiselman getting lost in a wave before cutting to Botha's heroic and dramatic rescue. It's unclear how much time Geiselman was underwater before Botha reached him, but Botha told Stab Magazine that when he got to Geiselman he was convinced the young surfer was dead.
"Man, I saw his face and it was just -- he was in bad shape, man," Botha told Stab. "His face was like a dark blue, purple color. His eyes rolled back, he was foaming at the mouth."
As the powerful waves continued to pound both men, Botha did everything he could to keep both his own and Geiselman's head above water, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest compressions in between waves.
Eventually, other surfers, including World Champion Mick Fanning, and lifeguards reached the two men and helped bring them to shore. But even with help, the powerful shore break was difficult to negotiate.
Castiglione says Geiselman spit up "buckets and buckets" of water after lifeguards got him on the beach. He then regained consciousness and was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
On Monday, his brother Eric -- also a professional surfer -- posted a picture of Geiselman on Instagram with a message of thanks to Botha and all the other people who helped save Geiselman's life.
From his hospital bed at The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu, Geiselman also posted on social media, describing Botha as his "guardian angel."
In both his interview with Stab and posts on Instagram, Botha has downplayed his heroic actions.
"Life just put me there in the right moment," he told Stab. "I'm grateful for all the support from everyone and I'm thankful that I was there."
The large swell that passed through the region over the weekend prompted the National Weather Service to issue high surf warnings for the region, saying 30-40 foot waves were expected.
The Queen's Medical Center said Tuesday Geiselman had been released from their care.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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