A California fisherman experienced a terrifying ordeal when he was swept into the ocean by a sudden sneaker wave.
Bae Cadot, a 47-year-old from Pacifica, was fishing south of the Pacifica Pier on Tuesday when he was unexpectedly pulled into the water, getting dragged nearly 30 feet from the beach.
The alarming incident was captured by a webcam, showing the moment the wave crashed over Cadot, pulling him under.
“It felt like I was rolling around in a washing machine,” Cadot recounted.
She described the wave as sudden and realized the imminent danger she faced.
“It just consumed me,” she recalled. “I knew she was coming. I was going in.” It was as if escape was impossible.
Instead of struggling against the powerful waves, Cadot surrendered to the situation and prayed, saying, “God, if that’s your will, I understand, but please don’t leave my son.”
After several harrowing minutes underwater, she eventually surfaced, and fellow fishermen rushed to help, throwing ropes to pull her back to safety.
“Thank you for risking your life to save mine,” she expressed to them afterward.
First responders quickly arrived on the scene and transported Cadot to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of hypothermia.
She is now recovering at home.
Recently, other marine rescue incidents have occurred, including a mother and daughter saved after being caught in a wave at Baker Beach in San Francisco. Tragically, two college students from the Bay Area lost their lives after being swept out to sea in Santa Cruz.
Additionally, the dangers of such waves were highlighted in Southern California with the recovery of a 5-year-old girl who was swept into the ocean off Laguna Beach.
These sneaker waves tend to be more prevalent along coastlines where the water depth drops sharply, notably in parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. They are unpredictable, often hitting much higher than anticipated, even on seemingly calm days. Some studies suggest that approximately three out of every 10,000 waves can be classified as “rogue” or sneaker waves.
