Heroes aren’t born…
Now, the name Brendan Tighe may not be quite household, yet, but it is well on the way to being so, at least in our ever-shrinking surf world. The New Jersey native made headlines last year when he swan dove from the lip of a very cold and murderous beast into the void.
“I guess you could say I’m an under-the-radar guy, I try to stay in my lane,” the Springsteen-esque looker told Surfline at the time. “If you catch me on a three-foot day, I’ll look like anyone else. I don’t wiggle well, I’d be a first round clown in any contest, and I can’t really do airs. But if the waves are big, I can go out there and do my thing: tubes and cutbacks.”
Well, Tighe is back in the headlines, this time for saving a drowning man. He was out surfing Belmar, just south of the Stone Pony, when he heard a loud yelling. Turning over, he beheld a man trying, but failing, to swim.
Taking to Instagram, he explained:
Today, 3 minutes into my session at a wave I never surf, I heard someone screaming for help significantly far from me. paddled 200 yards out and over from the jetty I was surfing to a nearly unconscious/hypothermic man floating on his back.
He was drifting out to sea without a wetsuit and not swimming. Knowing he was frantic/near unconsciousness, I put space between him and myself. This was to create distance and avoid being pulled under by an adrenaline fueled drowning victim. I detached my leash and swam my board into his arms, remaining 5 feet away and keeping my board between us.
I helped him hold my board perpendicular to his body to keep space and allow him to rest, but because of the water temperature his body was not regulating. After swimming/pulling the board and him in keeping the space, we were caught in the same (minimal) high tide rip that pulled him out in the first place.
To adjust: I loudly/assertively told him not to touch my body and put him in the classic prone position on the board, swam out and around and pushed him in swimming behind him and pushing the tail, away from his body, while making sure he stayed on the back half the board (nose up) to reduce drag.
We made it safely to the beach where Belmar EMS, Police & the USCG took over and I removed myself from the situation.
He is cleared and will be OK.
Surfers: it may not be our responsibility to be lifeguards, but having the skill and being in the right place at the right time can save someone’s life.
The heroics were captured on the aforementioned Surfline rewind cam where all good and bad deeds live forever.
Bravo, Brendan Tighe.
Bravo.
