Tourist Taking Selfie Swept Over Edge of Rocky Cliff, Then Teen Hero Risks Life To Save Him
What would you risk for the perfect photo?
One tourist got more than he bargained for during a trip to the popular hub “Devil’s Tears,” a notoriously dangerous cove on the island of Nusa Lembongan, near Bali. The site is famous not only for its piercing blue waves and breathtaking sunsets, but also for its high risk factor.
During a vacation stop at the bay, a man stood in front of the water in order to pose for a selfie when a powerful swell swept him over the edge of the cliff and into the surf below.
Nearby, 19-year-old Jake Davison was watching. Without stopping to think, he dove in after the drowning man, swimming almost 160 feet out into the surf. A trained scuba instructor, Davison was familiar with diving and used his skills to navigate the currents and reach the man in the water.
For almost half an hour, the two men wrestled with the waves, fighting to climb onto the rocks and regain their footing.
“When I got to him he just kept climbing on top of me and stuff and pushing me underwater,” Davison told 9News.
Every time they made headway against the current, another swell rose up and crashed over the rocks, knocking them back into the current.
“There was definitely one moment where I thought, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to get out myself, let alone, get this guy out,'” he said.
The exhausted tourist was on the verge of giving up, but Davison pushed him on, shouting to keep going.
“He just had no energy. and he didn’t want to try any more and I was just like ‘come on’, I kept yelling at him saying ‘come on, come on.’”
Other bystanders brought a rope to the scene, hoping Davison could pull the man to safety. Fighting with the current, the teen struggled back onto the rocks and began casting the rope out into the water.
Finally, Davison was able to pull the man up the side of the cliff and back to safe ground.
“He was really frightened,” Davison said. “He really thought he was going to die.”
Thanks to the teen’s quick thinking and courage, the grateful tourist made it out of the water alive. Had Davison not been willing to risk his own life, the dangerous encounter likely would have ended very differently.
Two other people were swept over the edge that day. A woman who fell into the gorge, along with the man Davison rescued, both survived. However, the third man was taken to the hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
Despite being left battered by the rough rocks, the two were thankful to make it back to dry land with their lives.
When asked about his heroism, Davison remarked that he would wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
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