On Saturday, a surfer and two local fishermen collaborated to rescue two people and a dog following a boat capsizing in turbulent waters off Palm Beach Shores, Florida. AJ Castronovo, the surfer involved in the rescue, witnessed the boat overturning while riding waves. "The second wave came; it was bigger, already breaking, and unfortunately, I noticed there was a boat," Castronovo explained. "That wave came and just absolutely rolled the boat over on its side. Both people were ejected from the boat."
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Castronovo immediately swam toward the capsized vessel but faced peril as another wave approached. "I figured this is about it for me; the boat is coming at me sideways, another wave behind it, nowhere for me to go," he said. Undeterred, he managed to swim underneath the overturned boat where he located the two individuals struggling for breath. "They seemed like they were breathing in water, weren’t doing too well," he noted.
Castronovo pulled them onto his surfboard and began the trek to safety. Soon after, local fisherman Chad Smith and his son arrived on their boat to assist in the rescue. "Chad Smith came up like he’s done it 100 times," recounted Castronovo. Together, they hoisted the man and woman onto the fishermen’s boat.
In a twist during the rescue, Castronovo heard another surfer shouting, "Hey, hey, what’s going on?" The surfer raised his hand and announced, "I got the dog," indicating that he had also rescued the pet.
After the rescue, authorities confirmed that the two individuals were transported to the hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition. Castronovo concluded with a message: "If the people are out there, I hope you’re safe and get a new boat." First responders from Riviera Beach Fire Rescue and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office were also involved in the incident.