Three Israeli surfers came out heroes after saving eight children from drowning in the waters off Hawaii.
Tzvika Elias, Yair Naftali and Gabi Liptz — Israelis who live in the United States — were surfing on Feb. 9 when they caught sight of the children struggling to stay afloat as huge waves battered the shore.
Naftali told Israel’s Channel 2 News that they saw the mothers of the children, ages 12 to 14, watching terrified from the shore.
Although emergency crews were called to the scene, Naftali said they were kept at a distance because “the waves were so high, all they could do was watch as we tried to get the children out of the water.”
The incident occurred at a remote beach a half-hour from Honolulu.
In the end, it took the trio 40 minutes to get all of the children to safety. The worried parents on shore announced they had found new heroes. — israel 21c