A sightseeing trip to the beach turned into a terrifying rescue on France’s northwestern coast, when powerful waves nearly swept an elderly couple out to sea on Feb. 8.
A man tried to rescue the couple before becoming caught up in the surf himself.
Eric Roudaut, 42, was filming the rough seas from a rocky beach in Portsall, France, Monday afternoon when he saw the scene develop before his eyes.
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A camera, not belonging to Roudaut but believed to have been set up to record the powerful waves, captures the scene as the couple walk towards the churning surf.
They quickly realize they’ve advanced too close to the water’s edge, and try to turn back. But it’s too late – a powerful wave sweeps up the 75-year-old man and carries him away from shore.
When his wife, 76, attempted to retrieve him, she became trapped in the rolling tide herself.
“She was swung for 10 minutes by the waves,” Roudaut said. “It fell by 50 metres with the surf and came back.”
Another man, who declined to be identified, observed the perilous situation before attempting to intervene. A powerful wave slammed into him mid-rescue, and he and the couple are carried out by the incoming wave.
In the original posting of the video on YouTube, many comments criticized the person operating the camera for not rushing to the couple’s aid themselves but instead continuing to operate the camera.
Some replies indicate the person may have had a physical disability, however Global News cannot verify those reports.
With the help of more passersby, Roudaut finally managed to bring all three people back to safety.
“When help arrived, I went home to take a hot shower.”
The couple were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
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