Man rescues baby sucked out into ocean

June 4, 2013

A local skimboarder saved a baby from drowning after she was ripped from her mother's arms and sucked out into the ocean off the California coast.

46 year-old Patrick Watson and his 18 year-old son were at the beach for some fun in the sun. It was a nice warm day and the waves were up, some as high as 5 feet.

A nearby woman was holding her baby in the water when a wave struck sucking the child right from her arms. Watson and his son both saw the incident and rushed into the water to help.

Frantically searching through the water, Watson thought he saw something resembling a diaper flash by under the water.

"At that moment, when I grabbed her," said Watson, "I pulled her in like a football. I was like, 'Thank goodness, thank God, I got her!' So I was able to push off the bottom with one foot and get her above water."

Watson never got the woman's name, but is just happy they are safe now.

"I'll never forget, she was looking at me like just total desperation, shaking, screaming 'My baby.' She had her baby. She was looking at her fingers and toes and just saying, trying to say thank you, but she was so distraught," he said.

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Full Story: CBSLA  | Images: CBSLA