An Australian TV weather forecaster is being hailed as a hero after stripping down and diving into dangerous waters on a local beach to recover a man’s body – while the cameras were still rolling after a live broadcast just now.
Luke Bradnam, an anchor for Channel Nine in Australia, was on Narrowneck Beach in Queensland last week, reporting on the treacherous water conditions when warned that a person may be struggling in the ocean.
Then Bradnam sprang into action.
“Just after I got off the air and chatted with you guys, a boogie boarder right behind here at Narrowneck warned me he thought he’d seen someone in the surf again,” a wet and shirtless Bradnam told his fellow anchors in the air that the Friday ordeal.
“I immediately undressed and ran out with the boogie boarder to help the person in trouble,” Bradnam said.
Unfortunately, the man who ran into the waters to rescue Bradnam did not survive.
“As we got closer, it became quite clear that there was a body floating in the water and the two of us were able to secure the body and make our way … back to shore,” the weather forecaster told viewers .
The body of the man who helped Bradnam recover is believed to be 32-year-old British citizen Jake Jacobs who moved to the Gold Coast from the UK and was reported missing on Thursday, according to News.com.au.
A search and rescue mission was launched after the body of Jacobs’ swimming partner was found late Thursday, the British Mirror reported. Police believe the couple went swimming naked on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Bradnam described the situation as “quite dire”.
The reporter told 9News.com.au that he hopes “never to experience that again”.
“In the heat of the moment I thought this is someone’s son, it will end – we just have to do it,” said Bradnam, dipping into the water despite an injured shoulder.
After the incident, many viewers took to social media to praise Bradnam for his actions.
“Thank you for risking your own life to try and save another, and while the results weren’t what you hoped for, a loved one from a family is back with them,” Stuart Weaver tweeted.