Surfer rescue ‘pretty basic’

One of the first things Bunbury Fireman Russell Ord will tell you about saving the life of a drowning surfer in the shadow of 8m waves is that it was ‘‘pretty basic’’.

But surfer Jacob Trette might disagree, pulled near death from the path of amonstrous wave by the heroic Aussie.

Taking photos from a jet ski at California surf spot Mavericks last week, the freelance photographer spotted Mr Trette while rescuing another surfer being pummeled by the white water after being knocked from his board by a rogue wave.

‘‘All of a sudden, a couple of 25ft waves came through,’’ Mr Ord said.

‘‘The first one got him and the second one didn’t help.’’

Mr Ord said he could not believe it when he pulled the unconscious surfer from the water and felt a pulse.

‘‘He looked pretty much dead to me,’’ Mr Ord said.

Mr Ord gave him first aid and said after speaking with Mr Trette earlier this week, he was amazed at his speedy recovery.

‘‘I talked to him on Sunday and it’s like it never even happened—it’s quite unbelievable really,’’ he said.

The South West resident has become an overnight media sensation after the rescue, featuring on numerous news websites around the world and on television and being labelled ‘‘the hero from Down Under’’.

Mr Ord said it was sheer luck it was not him who had needed rescuing in the aftermath of the freak waves, turning down an opportunity to surf just five minutes before disaster struck.

Grateful to be home in one piece, the father of three is shocked at his new-found celebrity status.

‘‘I can’t believe how the media have got hold of it and made it anything,’’ Mr Ord said.

‘‘I’m in the ocean all the time and I’ve got a jet ski plus I do fire and rescue, so it was pretty basic really.’’