Hero beachgoers form human chain to save drowning tourist

Yahoo News Australia and agencies
·2-min read

This is the heroic moment beachgoers formed a human chain to save a tourist drowning in the sea in the Philippines.

The man in his mid-20s was playing in the waist-deep water when he was knocked over by the powerful waves on Binmaley beach in Pangasinan province as holidaymakers were celebrating the new year on January 1.

Onlookers heard his cries for help in the whitewater and immediately banded together to reach the drowning man, who was struggling to stay afloat as the powerful tide crashed over him.

Beachgoers form hold hands to save a tourist drowning in the sea. Source: Viral Press/Australscope
This is the heroic moment beachgoers formed a human chain to save a tourist drowning in the sea in the Philippines. Source: Viral Press/Australscope

The rescuers linked hands to form a human chain extending several metres from the shore, while the men at the end of the chain carried a life ring for the victim.

Footage shows the harsh waves lashing and pushing back the tourists, who held fast to complete the rescue mission in the choppy ocean.

The man was successfully pulled from the water after a few minutes and was carried to the resort's medical team to receive treatment. He was seen sitting on the sand as medics checked his condition before declaring he was safe.

"The guy is safe now. I was amazed by how everyone worked together to save him," onlooker Gerald Pring, who recorded the life-saving spontaneous teamwork, said.

"The sea looked beautiful but it was also powerful. The waves were strong and he could not get back out to the shore once he was knocked over."

The man in his mid-20s is seen struggling in the waist-deep water.
The man in his mid-20s was playing in the waist-deep water when he was knocked over by the powerful waves on Binmaley beach. Source: Viral Press/Australscope

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, has notoriously dangerous seas and rip tides on its breathtaking beaches which attract surfers and tourists from around the world.

Conditions are at their most perilous in winter due to windy weather and powerful currents. 

Local police have urged tourists to exercise caution when swimming on beaches in the province, following multiple drowning incidents over the years.

The Binmaley Police Station said people may misjudge the depth of the water, as the beaches, being part of the Lingayen gulf, have an uneven seafloor.

Joyce Anne Farrel/Viral Press/Australscope

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