The moment a swimmer was resuscitated after a near-fatal drowning at New Smyrna Beach in Florida, has been captured on video.
Felipe Ribeiro Desouza, 21, almost lost his life after he got caught in a riptide that swept him out to sea on Friday, March 30.
The victim, who was without a pulse for between 5-7 minutes, was among several people caught in the riptide.
Desouza was the only one who was unresponsive.
He was put on a surfboard and carried out of the water until lifeguard Dalton Smith came to the rescue.
Felipe Ribeiro Desouza, 21, almost lost his life after he got caught in a riptide that swept him out to sea.
The victim, who was without a pulse for between 5-7 minutes, was among several people caught in the riptide.
He was put on a surfboard and carried out of the water until lifeguard Dalton Smith came to the rescue.
Desouza was the only one unconcious
'We just let him know that they needed to his head up above water,' Smith local NBC affiliate WESH. 'And we just swam them all in together.'
Deputy Stan Manhart, one of the first responders at the scene, began giving him Desouza CPR before they even reached shore.
'With the patient being slippery, the board being wet they were able to maintain the patient on the board and doing very effective CPR,' said Ty Tarnow with the New Smyrna Fire Department.
The Fire Department eventually took over, still struggling to bring his pulse back
'With saltwater drownings, what happens is when the saltwater enters the lungs, you have a major fluid shift in the body,' said Tarnow.
Deputy Stan Manhart (left) was one of the first responders on the scene who began giving CPR to Desouza before they even reached the shore. Ty Tarnow (right) with the New Smyrna Fire Deparment said it was a miracle the victim survived.
'The first thing he said was he's never going to the beach again,' said Manhart.
First responders visited Desouza in the hospital, where he has since made a full recovery
'So that creates pulmonary edema. So this this patient needed advanced lifesaving airway procedures.'
'It was just a miracle that this young man was able to pull through. You're only as strong as your weakest link, and there were no weak links here.'
In a press conference following the incident, Manhart shared the first thing Desouzsa said after the rescue.
'The first thing he said was he's never going to the beach again,' said Manhart.
Authorities said he was swimming far from the lifeguard tower when he almost drowned.
First responders visited Desouza in the hospital, where he has since made a full recovery.
