A 16-year-old surfer from Point Pleasant Borough pulled three
men caught in a rip current safely to shore.
Kayla Smith was wrapping up a day of surfing Sunday when she saw
the three men struggling. She then jumped in with her surfboard.
“Two women ran up to me,” says Smith. “They asked if I could go
get their husbands. I grabbed my board. I ran right in there."
Smith says she’s been surfing for about five years and conditions Sunday were
extremely dangerous. She jumped into the ocean with her board and dragged
herself and all three safely to shore.
"I couldn't even think, it was just like keep paddling try as
hard as you can,” says Smith. “I was worried about them more than myself
because I could tell they were sipping on water from the ocean and everything;
they couldn't catch their breath and I was like I'll balance the board for you
guys just kick to help me get in because there was no way I could have pulled
them in. No one could touch up there. It was probably a 10-foot drop
maybe."
Smith wasn't even supposed to be on the beach. Her
mom was late picking her up.
“Just so thankful of her bravery,” says mother Sharon Smith.
“Really, she's so selfless to just - I don't know if I could
do that to be honest knowing that it was so rough. Just so impressed with her
selflessness to be honest with you. There need to be more people
like that in this world.”
Everything happened so quickly that Smith didn’t even catch the
names of the men she rescued. She says she hopes they're doing OK and wants
everyone to know even experienced surfers and swimmers can get in trouble in a
hurry when no lifeguards are on duty.