San Clemente lifeguards performed a dramatic rescue on Christmas Day, according to a Facebook post by the San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Guard Foundation. Late morning, a bodyboarder suffered a near-fatal heart attack that required multiple responders, on- and off-duty. Read the full account below. As if we need any more reasons to be thankful for those emergency workers, it capped a year in which the lifeguards performed 1,383 rescues, according to the City of San Clemente.

Here’s the full account of the Christmas Day rescue of the bodyboarder from the San Clemente Lifeguard & Junior Guard Foundation Facebook post.

HERO ALERT!

On Christmas day, local surfers, a concerned resident, lifeguards, and firefighter/paramedics came together to save the life of a bodyboarder who suffered a near-fatal heart attack in the water at T-Street.

At approximately 10:40 a.m. surfers in the water noticed a bodyboarder who appeared to be having a heart attack. The surfers, who included off-duty and former lifeguards and firefighters, and a local pro surfer began to bring the bodyboarder into shore, navigating six-foot surf and strong currents and working to make sure the bodyboarder didn’t aspirate water. During the rescue, one of the rescuers had the presence of mind to raise and wave his surfboard in the air, to indicate help was needed.

While this was happening, a resident saw what was going on from the T-Street parking area and phoned the lifeguard department. Upon arrival, the lifeguards assisted in bringing the bodyboarder to shore, then assessing that the bodyboarder was not breathing and had no pulse, began administering CPR. They used the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to restore a heartbeat. Once Orange County Fire arrived on the scene, they assisted in stabilizing the bodyboarder and transported him to the hospital.

As a result of this demonstration of preparedness and teamwork, the bodyboarder is alive today. Truly a Christmas miracle!

We are so grateful to all who participated in this heroic rescue. This is what our community is all about – being prepared and working together. Well done. All of you are truly heroes!