Pro surfing legend Kelly Slater added another accolade to his trophy case early Thursday morning, when he saved a wife and her young child from drowning.
According to Next Impulse Sports, Slater rescued the pair after a giant wave swept them off of Kamehameha Highway in Oahu, HI. The woman’s husband — photographer Chris White — thanked Slater on Instagram, with the following caption:
So thankful the surf gods denied @kellyslater today cos for whatever reason he was right there to save my wife and kid who were swept across a road by a freak wave today. Forever grateful to the great man an so thankful my family is alive and safe. Thanks to all the lifeguards too who saved many lives today.
Slater also responded to White’s kind words:
thank you! I didn’t look at it that way but for some random reason I stopped there when I normally don’t and happened to be there. Lifeguards were on it either way and had it handled. So glad all is well and we can (someday) laugh about it. Van’s first wave was a huge one! Definitely a WA baby!