A missing surfer was pulled to safety in Puerto Rico after more than 30 terrifying hours alone at sea, ending a massive, multi-agency search in a dramatic helicopter rescue captured on video.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the 68-year-old man went surfing near Surfer’s Beach in Aguadilla around noon on Thursday. When he failed to return or make contact, concern quickly grew.
The man’s daughter told authorities she hadn’t heard from him after he entered the water. By Friday evening, his Airbnb host reported him missing after he had been gone for more than 24 hours, triggering an urgent search effort on land and sea.
Video released afterward shows the intense moment Coast Guard crews located the surfer stranded on rocks just offshore. Footage captures a helicopter hovering above him before rescuers hoisted him off a reef and into the aircraft.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
After the rescue, the Coast Guard shared audio from an emotional phone call between the surfer’s family and Capt. Robert Stiles, deputy sector commander of Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
“I’m sure he’s dehydrated, I’m sure he’s had a rough night, but he’s conversant,” Stiles told the family. “We’re gonna have paramedics standing by to check him out, but he’s alive and well.”
An overwhelmed family member responded through tears, repeatedly thanking the crew for saving his life.
The search involved coordination between Coast Guard watchstanders, the Puerto Rico Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol, a specialized Puerto Rican maritime unit, and local emergency responders.
The Coast Guard deployed an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, scanning offshore waters and the rugged shoreline north of Aguadilla. During the search, the crew spotted a man matching the missing surfer’s description standing near a surfboard and signaling from the rocks outside Surfer’s Beach.
Authorities said rough seas, reefs, and jagged terrain made it impossible to reach him by foot or boat. The helicopter crew instead executed a precision hoist, lifting the exhausted surfer directly from the rocks to safety.
“What a terrific outcome,” Capt. Stiles said afterward. “This case could have easily had a different outcome.”
Officials urged surfers and anyone entering the water to share their plans with others, stay prepared, and use proper safety equipment — reminders underscored by a rescue that came just in time.
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