A fisherman cast his line—and pulled a drowning woman from the water

A woman’s midnight swim at Dias Beach in Mossel Bay nearly turned tragic when she was swept up in a powerful rip current on December 18. The 31-year-old, from George, South Africa, found herself drifting farther from the shore with no strength left to swim back. Luckily, a group of local fishermen nearby saw her struggle and acted fast.

One cast changed everything

One fisherman came up with a solution that sounds like something out of a movie—using his fishing rod to reel her in. With a Kabeljou hook on the line, he cast directly at the woman, aiming for her jeans.

"That fisherman either just threw one of the luckiest casts ever or he's a [...] pro."

— @Extra-Knowledge884

Miraculously, the hook caught her clothing.

An aerial view of Mossel Bay, South Africa Bob Adams via Wikimedia Commons

With careful reeling, he managed to bring her closer to shore. When she reached shallower waters, another fisherman jumped in to help pull her out completely. Emergency crews, including NSRI Mossel Bay rescue swimmers, the South African Police Service, and paramedics, quickly arrived. She was treated for non-fatal drowning symptoms, but didn’t need further medical care.

Praise for the fisherman’s ingenuity

The National Sea Rescue Institute praised the fisherman for his fast action and creativity. “This was a truly remarkable rescue,” said a spokesperson. “The fisherman’s decisive action and skill made all the difference in saving her life.”

"Plenty of Fish should use this story as an ad campaign!"

— @jamestheredd

The internet had jokes

The story quickly made its rounds online, with people both applauding the rescue and riffing on the idea of “catching” someone in a very different way.

"When the twin idioms of 'there are plenty of fish in the sea' and 'she's quite a catch!' intersect literally..."

— @AwwYeahVTECKickedIn

One Redditor, @Suspicious-Salad-213, joked, “So what kind of bait does one use to catch a woman? Asking for a friend.” Another, @SimilarElderberry956, quipped, “This is one time you don’t throw them back.”

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things

This isn’t the first time someone has saved a life using out-of-the-box thinking. In one notable story, a woman pretended to order a pizza to alert 911 about domestic abuse. In another, a 9-year-old girl outsmarted a stalker in a chilling incident caught on CCTV.

These real-life moments show that courage and ingenuity come in many forms. Whether it’s a fake pizza order or a fishing rod turned lifeline, ordinary people can do extraordinary things in moments that matter most.