Thank you, surfer man! An unnamed surfer showed that there's always room to be a hero. He came to the aid of a drowning seabird, saving it from the waves.
As of right now, no one knows who the surfer is. But social media fans have been trying to track down the man after the video went viral. It happened in Florida earlier in the week. Finding out who the man with the surfboard is has proven challenging. But we can all celebrate his good work and honor the spirit of helping animals in need.
In the video, the surfer rode his board over to where the bird was. He slowly and carefully picked up the bird out of the water. Placing it on his surfboard, he paddled back to shore and rescued the animal.
Videographer Brandon Terronez said the incident happened at Cocoa Beach. He told FOX 35 Orlando. "He's a hero to a lot of people. We did think that poor bird might be done for in that moment."
Terronez is surprised by the response to the video. "I thought it would be seen by a few people on my Facebook list," said Terronez to FOX 35 Orlando. "Instead, it has blown up quite a bit."
One of the top comments reads, "and then God created surfers."
Meanwhile, Wild Florida Rescue praised the surfer for saving the bird's life. The agency and its manager Heather Pepe-Dillon often rescue wildlife who needs help in Brevard County, Florida.
"[The bird] was either waterlogged or it was pushed in from a storm," Heather Pepe-Dillon told FOX 35 Orlando.
Surfer Saves Bird
"If this man would have come into shore, called in, it would not have been rescued, so this is a fantastic case, and we love to see it," added Pepe-Dillon.
According to Pepe-Dillon, she said the bird may be a sooty tern. While they typically live near the sea, seabirds struggle in rough waters. As such, the bird would have probably died.
"It was either waterlogged or it was pushed in from a storm," said Pepe-Dillon to FOX 35 Orlando. "They just get colder and colder, and they could get hypothermia."
Meanwhile, viewers continue to praise the surfer for his good deed.
"It may only take a few seconds out of your day like this surfer, and it can have a ripple effect, you know, make a lasting impact," said Terronez.
