Video: Surfer saves the life of a soldier, in a dramatic rescue in the sea of ​​Rio

It was around 4 pm on Friday (15), the Passion of the Christ holiday, when surfer Renan Souza, 30, decided to jump off the rocks where huge waves were breaking violently, to help a drowning victim.

The images that took over social networks show Renan, known as Byruleyby, throwing himself from the rocks in search of the victim, the Rio de Janeiro Fire Brigade soldier, Demétrius dos Santos, 38. It all took place in the midst of a championship, the Brazilian Bodyboard.

With the sea “underwater” and strong waves crashing against the coast, the scenes are somewhat harrowing.

At the time, a helicopter from the Fire Department was already flying over the area to carry out the rescue of competitors who ended up being taken to the coast.

In the rescue, the soldier ended up also being thrown to the rocks. In shared footage, dos Santos can be seen being sucked into a hole in the coast.

“The helicopter couldn’t see him. At that time I saw that if I didn’t jump he would die. He couldn’t move his legs anymore”, says Renan, who threw himself towards the soldier with the board.

On the situation of the soldier Renan is emphatic: “He was a hero. He went to save a life and ended up taking it over his head. He even managed to climb the rocks for an hour, but a wave came and threw him into the hole”, says a bodyboarder.

“I am evangelical, fearing God and my faith is in Jesus Christ. I’m sure that at that moment God was with me”, says Renan when recalling the scene.

now i was hero

Now 30 years old, Renan says that this was not his first rescue. However, he never did anything like that. “I have saved other people, but not in this way, by throwing myself off the coast”, explains Souza.

With a troubled childhood and involvement with crime that earned him 6 years in prison, today Renan gets emotional when talking about the repercussion of his rescue on the internet.

“This is too crazy for me. Because I went through a lot of problems, I left home when I was 14 years old, I got involved in crime, I was arrested. Today being seen as a hero is very exciting”, says Renan on the phone with a choked voice.

“But for me, the real hero is Jesus. At that time I just asked God that he be with me, because I wasn’t going to let that man die in front of me”, says Renan.

Between waves and brownies

Currently Renan lives off the income from the sale of brownies and the funds from sponsors and supporters. But at the moment, the surfer is unable to make the cakes.

“My oven broke. So I’m living off the money from competitions, the priority is to pay the rent and what’s left is to eat. But sometimes there’s not enough,” she says.

Anyone who watches a partying and smiling Renan on the hammocks does not see the boy worried about an uncertain future.

“I didn’t save him to get anything, I did it to earn his living. But if somehow this story helps me to live in a more dignified way, it will be good too”, says Renan, whose biggest dream is to get out of rent.

“Bodyboarding saved my life”, concludes Byroleybe.

In a statement, the Fire Department said:

“The Military Fire Department of the State of Rio de Janeiro (CBMERJ) was called, on Friday afternoon (15.04), for a rescue event on the beach of São Conrado. Lifeguards of the 3rd Maritime Group (3rd GMar), with the support of a watercraft and a corporation helicopter, rescued an athlete who was thrown on the rocks during a bodyboard championship, at the height of post 13. The victim was hoisted to the sand by the aircraft, attended by the firefighters and taken, by a private ambulance hired by the organization of the event, to the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital.

One of the lifeguards who participated in the rescue also collided with the stones during the rescue and ended up suffering abrasions on his body, being taken to the Aristarcho Pessoa Central Hospital (HCAP) where he was under observation.”