Dramatic video shows family of six thrown out of boat after taking on massive wave
Harrowing video captured the moment a family of six was violently thrown from their boat after it was struck by a massive wave off Santa Cruz’s West Cliff Drive.
The footage, recorded by a bystander, shows the vessel heading toward shore before suddenly veering into powerful incoming surf. The boat initially remained upright but was quickly overwhelmed, flipping and ejecting all six occupants — including four children — into the water.
Several nearby surfers immediately sprang into action, among them three-time Mavericks champion and big-wave surfer Darryl “Flea” Virostko. Writing on Instagram, Virostko described spotting the boat moments before it capsized.
“Crazy little situation yesterday. I saw the boat coming as I was outside dodging a big middle peak set,” he wrote. “He zoomed by me, and I saw he had his family on the boat. As I watched him drive straight into a big white wash, I knew they went down, and it was time to paddle in as quickly as possible to help save the family.”
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Virostko said fellow surfer Trike also rushed in to help, adding that it was remarkable the young children survived the wreck. He noted that neither parent was wearing a life vest, making it difficult for rescuers to keep them above water amid the breaking waves.
“The dad was freaking out asking about all the kids, and there was a language barrier, so it was hard to understand,” he wrote. “We got there were four kids, so we started yelling around the lineup. All kids got saved.”
According to the Santa Cruz Fire Department, crews responded to a confirmed water rescue in the area. Officials credited the rapid response of marine rescue swimmers, city lifeguards, state parks personnel, and Good Samaritan surfers with preventing a tragedy.
All six victims were brought to Santa Cruz Harbor, where fire and ambulance crews treated them before transporting them to a local hospital.
In a follow-up post, Virostko praised the collective effort, saying it felt good to see the surfing community “go into action together as one team.” The fire department later recognized several of the surfers involved — some as young as 14 — for their role in rescuing the family.
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