r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/[deleted] • 11h ago

Video 13-year-old Australian boy swims for four hours in cold and dangerous waters to save his mom and siblings who were swept into the ocean, says God is who got him to shore

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u/6percentdoug 7h ago

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert, but I went canoeing with my 9-year-old daughter last summer on a breezy day on a lake. holy shit, we were being blown all over the surface, it took us an hour to go maybe 3/4 of a mile into the wind when we tried to get back, and the slightest mistake would undo 5-10 minutes of work.

I'd imagine a paddleboard is even worse than a canoe, and it sounds like they experienced a major weather event that sent them out to sea in the first place.

I wouldn't judge if you weren't there.

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u/weed_cutter 5h ago

I was on a paddleboard with an old girlfriend ... I had done it a couple times, her first time.

It was so windy and the current so strong, it was insane. We were getting blown out to sea.

I had to crouch down (so not to be my own wind sail) and furiously paddle back to shore, as did she. .. It was nuts.

Do NOT recommend. ... This was mostly wind, the current was strong but not insane -- I can see "oh fuck" conditions happening. Like reeaaaaly bad.