Bean’s Morning Paddle That Turned Into a Lifesaving Mission
David “Bean” Coffee just wanted a dawn warm-up at New Smyrna Beach. Instead, he got a starring role in someone’s survival story. A pair of swimmers were getting dragged seaward by a sneaky rip, and by the time shouts reached the line-up, the current had already peeled them 100 yards off the sand.
Bean—who’s been surfing since most of us were in diapers—didn’t hesitate. He spun his board, sprint-paddled over, and ordered the two onto his 9’6”. One clung to the nose, the other to the tail, and Bean calmly frog-kicked them back through the channel, timing his push between sets so no one took a fin to the face. Lifeguards met them in the inside, but as WDRB reports, the rescue was already done. Two soggy tourists went home with a fresh fear of rips—and a brand-new respect for silver-haired surfers.
Pro tip from Bean for photographers who might catch action like this: keep a long lens pointed at the impact zone at first light; the best stories don’t always happen on the wave face.