Sensational second surfer on brink of demise is rescued by holding on lobster lure buoy in rocky waters

A California man cheated death after being swept far off the coast and forced to cling to a lobster trap buoy until rescuers reached him.

The 26-year-old man and his friend had been surfing  near Haskell’s Beach in Goleta, a coastal city in Santa Barbara, when a rip current came and dragged him out to sea.

His surfboard later washed ashore without him, prompting his friend to immediately call 911, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Santa Barbara County firefighters arrived around 6.28pm and launched drones to search the surrounding waters. 

The missing, unnamed surfer was located by a drone roughly a quarter‑mile offshore, the department said. 

Footage showed him clinging to a lobster trap buoy, ultimately saved him from being dragged further out to sea.

Two rescue swimmers plunged into the water and hauled the surfer back to safety, where he received medical attention.

The department said the surfer may not have been found had it not been for the drone’s success or his friend’s quick thinking.

A 26-year-old California man narrowly escaped death after a rip current swept him far offshore while surfing near Haskell’s Beach in Santa Barbara

The missing surfer was located by a drone roughly a quarter‑mile offshore

‘Never go into the ocean alone – especially in rough conditions,’ the department said in a post on X. ‘Having someone with you can save lives.’

Fortunately for the surfer, Haskell’s Beach is a common spot for lobster fishing equipment. 

In 2021, the Santa Barbara Channel keeper Watershed Brigade counted 44 traps between Haskell’s Beach and nearby Ellwood Beach, local outlet NoozHawk reported.

The close call also follows a string of deadly incidents along the coast.

Just months ago near Garrapata State Park in Monterey County, a US Army soldier was swept into the ocean and never recovered. 

Days later, a father visiting from Canada and his seven-year-old daughter were also pulled out to sea in the same area; both were later confirmed dead.