Pro Surfer Risks His Life To Save A Complete Stranger
- Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:31pm by
Mike Opelka
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Back in mid-April, non-swimmer Maira Khan was posing for a photo on a large rock near the ocean, when a huge wave swept her out to sea. The California resident was struggling to stay afloat and was not sure that she would survive the ordeal. Fortunately for Maira, pro-surfer James Pribram happened to see what happened to her. The courageous Pribram risked his own safety and managed to fight the powerful waves to get to Ms. Khan and bring her back to shore, bloodied, but alive.
James Pribram handed Maira Khan over to the paramedics and without telling anyone his name, he just continued on his way. Thanks to an off-duty lifeguard who spilled the beans, Pribram’s identity was revealed to Ms. Khan and now to the world.
This story gets even better when you learn that Pribram and Khan are now friends and the surfer is teaching Maira how to swim.
H/T to our friends at Good.is
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Comments (78)
AmericanHorse
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:40pmYou know that guy is a conservative. A progressive would have not only not jumped in, but run from the scene while complaining about nobody jumping in to save her.
Report Post »hagar
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:35pmGood to read/hear a nice story once in awhile sort of renews your faith in people
Report Post »flsnipe
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:30pmHuman Decency at its best!
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:18pmMaybe he didn’t want to be know to the world. Why couldn’t they just give it a rest. Why can’t people leave people alone.
Report Post »LastAmerican
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:26pmTed we need stories like this every now and then to remind us that there are still good people.
Report Post »paperpushermj
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:17pmNice to hear a story of Human Decency
Report Post »jakartaman
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:11pmThat’s one for the good guys!
Report Post »Thanks Jim – you added a little hope for humanity
UH60L13
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:11pmNow all we need is the Government to get involved with this and fine the surfer for not having a license to be a lifeguard and getting in the way of a Public Official!! That is how the progressives think so if I were the surfer I would be very careful of the Politian!!
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:08pmNot to take anything away from the guy but Honestly- What was he supposed to do? We have to make everyone a hero for not running away?
Report Post »Patrick in AZ
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:17pmSadly today, yes. Far too many people would have done nothing more than call for help – if they did anything at all.
Report Post »Drum Man
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:08pmA for effort. A for execution. A for being a caring human being, James. Well done sir.
Report Post »RagingTiger
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:08pmThis is a great story… but it is not surprising in the least… *AND* I just wanted to add a bit of pride (anti-humility) for the tribe known as “surfers.”
Anyone who’s been a serious surfer (meaning getting out in the water regardless of conditions at least several times a month, year in & out, for a decade or longer,) has either saved someone from drowning directly, or been involved in a saving indirectly. It just happens a lot more (without any fanfare) than you might imagine.
A lot of times its a young kid that surfers save, or an older/weaker person swimming past their safe zone. Usually nobody else is around… and the last thing us surfers want is some big dramatic ordeal to play out. Many surfers are trained in life-saving techniques because we love the water, and live a lot of time in it. We escape our own death all the time, so for us its really not a big deal to help someone else escape their death.
Report Post »Vickie Dhaene
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:07pmReal heroes don’t need Fame
Report Post »hi
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:03pmNotice the off-duty lifeguard (government worker) didn’t try to help.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:09pmGood point.. Maybe it was beyond his job description in his Union contract.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:01pmYes! Way to go, GOD.
That’s how GOD works, y’all…. in our lives and we obey HIM, period. It is a joyous privilege to walk (or to swim) with HIM.
Thank you, James, and thank you rescued one for knowing WHO sent him to rescue you.
Nice story!!!
Report Post »G
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:58pmYay! It was an interesting thing to see this woman, who gives the credit to God on sending this this man to save her.
Decent people thinking with their hearts instead of their wallets. God bless this man…….
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:56pmRemember in San Fran they just let you drown!!!!!!!!!! A decent human being, good going!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »freeweever
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:53pmGreat story awesome man now pls be like this lifeguard and save America and join“ GBTV” today ,any amount is helpful but a full year subscription would make you a real American capitalist .Prove how much you care and give how much you can ,“STAND WITH AMERICA”, then sit and watch your shows. ;) hooorrraa glen I’ll be your Huckelberry, Hogan here at attention.
Report Post »And stand with Israel too . Hooorraaaa!
T-2
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:53pmtotally awesome dude…
Report Post »rightwingheroes
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:50pmnot an American story, but a humankind story.
Report Post »showmerancher
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:42pmThank goodness the Fire Department wasn’t there… I believe that the story last week was the SF Area fire department standing looking on for almost an hour as a man drowned, “because that was policy”.
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 10:23amright. Of course they are FIREmen not watermen. Better a surfer had been there. I don’t see a surfer rescueing a woman from a burning apartment.
Report Post »John 3:16
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:41pmOur God strikes again. This is why we worship Him. Glory to God!
Report Post »starman70
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:40pmToo bad he wasn’t in San Fransissyco when the dude drowned himself while Firefighters and Police stood idly by claiming lack of training.
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:45pmThat’s what i was thinking…………………………………………………….
Report Post »dakotachuck
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 4:10pmThe horrible incident you refer to happened across the Bay in Alameda not San Francisco. And by the way 2 San Francisco firefighters who pershished in the line of duty last week will be memorialized on Friday.
Report Post »islandlady
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:39pmThere are angels among us……….
Report Post »netman349
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 8:59pmYou ain’t kidding!
Report Post »cessna152
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:37pmSee, there are still good people out there….even surfer dudes.
Report Post »Fulksie
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:36pmWow! A real person acting like a decent human being. Who would have thought that would make the news?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:49pmThings such as this do happen; most of the other news stations and the liberal leaning to the ground ones almost never do. I hold that when the cause is just, and the Almighty deems it expedient for such stories to bring hope to his followers, we see these as a reminder that we are not alone, nor is the nation totally lost yet.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:34pmnow that’s an American story.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:40pmTrue American hero!
Report Post »jeffyfreezone
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:41pmYou’re a good man James!
Report Post »Dont-hate-on-me-2
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:45pmThe liberals would let you drown sorry to say it but… it is policy.
Report Post »Im very happy you were saved by someone with some guts and not afriad to put his life on the line for a stranger. I would and have done the same , well not at the ocean. Good looking out Mr.
MsMonsoon
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:45pmThe point is you have to know in your heart what is the right thing to do. Then, when the time comes, you don’t have to stop and think… you just do it.
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:48pmBless him!!
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:51pmWhy is it the Obama administration cannot find any decent people? Has Hussein never met a descent person, or all the decent people Obama ever known leaving him faster than Anthony Wiener’s urologist?
Report Post »T-2
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 12:52pmstories like this happen more often than the media let us see. there are a lot of good people out there.
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:01pmI’m going to forward this story to the hero-challenged Alameda, CA. Alameda Needs Hero Lessons! The Police and FireFighters in Alameda just stand by and watch people drown.
Report Post »Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:49pm“The point is you have to know in your heart what is the right thing to do. Then, when the time comes, you don’t have to stop and think… you just do it.”
That is why a liberal would never do something like this, it would require them to know in their heart what is the right thing to do and a liberal would never get past asking themselves “what is the right thing for me and what can I take away from others and give it to me.”
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 1:53pmReal heroes don’t do it for the admiration.
Report Post »kaneohebob
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:08pmJames Would Go!…Eddie Would Go!…True Watermen throughout the world would go. God bless you and thank you James for showing us all the true spirit and soul of a Waterman.
Report Post »GONESURFING
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:25pmGreat story, that’s what we surfers do.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:33pmGreat story! A real ‘do what’s right American’ among the dirt bags we have read/heard about lately. This shows that everyone should know how to swim because you never know…..
Report Post »Jediusetheforce
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:41pmI wander if they are going to hook up and have some trophies. Looks like their in love.
Report Post »ecurbyy
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:51pmThere is a web site called “The good news network”. It has stories similar to this all day long. I go there a lot more often than I used to. Just nice for a change.
Report Post »Liberty7
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:52pm……it is also a Human story….an act of pure altruism…….
Report Post »cemerius
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 2:54pmWould have been a greater story if his identity was kept a secret. God bless him for his selfless sacrifice!!!
Report Post »bry
Posted on June 9, 2011 at 9:24pm@kaneohebob…I hope you see this post. I know of the hero behind “Eddie would go.” But who is John? JFK?
Report Post »Thank you if you get a chance to answer!
Ookspay
Posted on June 10, 2011 at 8:56amAll of us surfers have rescued people who have gotten in a bad spot, no fanfare or glory just part of the water life. For every one life saved by a lifeguard there are 100 saved by common Joe Surfer. Similarly, society is held together by random acts of kindness performed millions of times a day.
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