Surfers comes to the rescue at Silver Strand

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.-A surfer came to the rescue of a man caught in a riptide before sunset on Monday night.

The boogie board had just gone out into the water for a dip at Silver Strand Beach in Ventura County near Oxnard.

Heather Gilbert said her husband Brian was walking their dogs with family and friends when they saw a swimmer having trouble getting back to shore.

While her husband was trying to call 9-1-1 and Harbor Patrol he accidentally dialed their son Noah.

Noah's dad got a new surfboard for Christmas after snapping his old on two during some high surf.

The former Junior Lifeguard grabbed his dad's new board and raced across the sand and jumped into the water and paddled out.

Gilbert got to the distressed swimmer fast and helped him onto his surfboard and kept him afloat until Channel Islands Harbor Patrol Officers arrived and helped him onto one of their boats.

People at the beach said they were impressed by how fast the 20-year-old came to the rescue.

The Harbor Patrol said the swimmer was cold and tired, but otherwise okay.

Locals watching the rescue said they wished there were winter lifeguards on duty, especially during the big swells over the holidays.

"Often, locals do most of the saving during the winter because we don't have any lifeguards," said Heather Gilbert, "I want to advocate for at least one at the tower."

The tower is the two story lifeguard tower close to the Channel Islands Harbor east jetty and the Silver Strand parking lot.