Viral Video: Good Samaritans Jump In To Rescue Child Caught In Waves
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A child trying to get out of the beach in Hawaii gets sucked back in before his family's eyes and it was all caught on video. Luckily, good Samaritans jumped in to help.
Ryon Kim, 8, was playing in the water when his grandfather gestured for him to get out but when the boy tried to leave the water, the waves sucked him back in.
For a few seconds, Ryon's mother Yura and his grandfather struggled to reach him. That's when Christopher Tuncap jumped in to help.
"The minute I saw the second wave come, that's when I got up and I started sprinting," said Tuncap.
He said the lifeguards had already left Sunset Beach - a place known for its big-wave surfing during the winter.
"I dived in right when he disappeared because I was so scared because I'm not only thinking about saving him but what's going to happen if I get dragged in," said Tuncap.
Other bystanders also joined in but struggled with the crashing waves and a strong current. Finally Ryon was carried to safety.
"I thought maybe my son was going to die...Everything turned to the light and everything turned to like, heaven," said Yura.
Yura said her son swallowed a lot of water but was otherwise okay.
"We're just people from Hawaii. We're not heroes. We saw what needed to be done and we went and we got him and that's all the matters," said Tuncap.
"I'd like to say thank you and I'd like to express my gratitude to them," said Yura.
Ryon's mother snapped a photo to always remember them.
The video of Ryon Kim's rescue has gone viral on Facebook, reaching more than 650,000 views.
