An Australian television man is hailed as a hero after undressing and diving into dangerous waters on a local beach to retrieve a man’s body – while the cameras were still running after a live broadcast just moments earlier.
Luke Bradnam, anchor for the Australian Channel Nine, was last week on Queensland’s Narrowneck Beach reporting on treacherous water conditions when he was warned that a person could be fighting in the ocean.
Then Bradnam quickly took action.
“Even after I chatted with you guys, a Narrowneck retiree alerted me that he thought he saw someone surfing again,” Bradnam told his anchor colleagues, wet and shirtless.
“I undressed immediately and ran with the boogie boarder to help the person in need,” Bradnam said.
Unfortunately, the man who fled to the rescue did not survive.
“As we approached, it became quite obvious that there was a body floating in the water and the two of us managed to secure our bodies and head … back to shore,” he told viewers.
The body of the man Bradnam helped to recover is believed to be a 32-year-old British citizen, Jake Jacobs, who moved to the UK Gold Coast 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 on Thursday, the British Mirror reported. Police believe the couple went out to a naked bathroom on Thursday.
Bradnam, meanwhile, described the situation as “pretty awful.”
The reporter told 9News.com.au that he hopes to “never experience this again.”
“In the heat of the moment, I thought this was someone’s son, it would bring closure – we just have to do it,” said Bradnam, who plunged into the water despite an injured shoulder.
Following the incident, many viewers went on social media to promote Bradnam for his actions.
“Thank you for risking your own lives to try and save another, and although the results were not what you would have hoped, a loved family would return with them.” Stuart Weaver posted on Twitter.