Olympic kite surfer Bruno Lobo showcased his athletic skills for a noble cause when he rescued a woman drowning in the ocean.
While kite surfing and testing his camera off the coast of São Luís, Brazil, on Friday, Lobo heard a cry for help and spotted the woman struggling in the water. In an Instagram post, he explained, “After sailing a few meters, I heard a cry for help and saw the girl who was drowning. I immediately went toward her with the kite, tried to calm her down, and asked her to climb onto my back because she was very tired and had no strength left.”
Lobo, 31, used his kite surfing equipment to bring the woman to safety, where lifeguards were able to assist her further.
“I was very surprised to see someone in that condition in the sea,” Lobo told CNN Sport. “When I realized she was drowning, I quickly went to help. I’m really happy it had a happy ending and that she’s fine. If she’d stayed in the water any longer, she might not have made it.”
Lobo, who participated in the Paris Olympics this year, also kept in touch with the woman afterward to ensure she was doing well. He used his Instagram post to raise awareness about the dangers of the sea and strong currents in unfamiliar waters, urging caution.
In his post, Lobo said, “Thank you for all the messages, I only did what needed to be done and what was within my power.”
The woman, in a comment on the post, expressed her deep gratitude, saying, “Words can’t describe my gratitude.”