Before we all start freaking out, no one in the above video died. Everyone made it out of the awful, terrifying situation safe and sound. Yes, they probably haven’t left their cozy beds in the days since, but they lived.
That said, the video serves as a reinforcement of the rule popularized by the legendary Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku that you should never, ever, ever turn your back to the sea, especially in a storm, and especially when there have been storms pummeling the area for the past two days and you’re not even supposed to be out there anyway. And especially especially especially if you’re elderly with a physically disabled camera person.
The incident happened at France’s Porsguen beach in Portsall on Monday. According to the video’s description, a retired couple was swept away by the waves and were saved by a vacationer and his friend.
The rogue wave really comes out of nowhere—after two minutes of standing at the beach, the man in the yellow is ready to move on and turns back, just as the retired couple is on their way down. And that’s when the big one hits.
But again: Everyone made it out of the situation alive, though they did have to be taken to a local hospital afterwards to be checked out. Just remember this video the next time you feel like visiting the beach during a storm. And maybe reconsider your plans.
And…
