This past Wednesday, St. Louis Rams special teams coordinator John Fassel was boogie boarding in the Pacific Ocean when he and another man noticed someone caught in a riptide fighting for his life, according to a piece last night from ESPN.
Fassel and the stranger, Jim Burton, quickly made their way over to the man, but by the time they got there his eyes were "rolling into the back of his head." According to what Fassel told ESPN, the man was probably within 30 seconds from going completely under and downing.
The man, who spoke no English, was unresponsive by the time the two rescued him. Fassel grabbed the man's arms and Burton grabbed his waist and they managed to get him onto a surfboard until lifeguards arrived. He was then brought to shore where paramedics gave him fluids and tried to stabilize him before rushing him to a local hospital.
The man probably would have drown without the help from the NFL assistant and a complete stranger, but he is now in stable condition, according to the article.
"Me and Jim said he was less than 30 seconds away from not being able to hang in there," Fassel told ESPN. "But it all happened so fast. Major kudos to Burton, the Manhattan Beach lifeguards and fire department paramedics. It was seriously amazing how fast they got on the scene. When we got him in, and he had the help he needed, we were high-fiving and celebrating."