Swimmer Swept Out to Sea Uses Ingenious Rescue Method

An Australian swimmer used his smart watch to summon help after being swept out to sea .

49-year-old Rick Shearman, an experienced surfer and swimmer, was trying to get back to Byron Bay’s shore when he got caught in the so-called “impact zone” amidst the roiling surf’s breaking waves.

“I copped a couple of big ones on the head and was held under for a while, I started to panic a bit and cramp up underwater there,” Shearman told ABC News Australia .

Knowing better than to fight the ocean, Shearman allowed the current to pull him further out in the hopes of finding a calm channel back to the beach. “It became clear after about 20 minutes that I wasn't going to make it back in and I needed some assistance," he said.

Thanks to some quick thinking, Shearman remembered that he still had his smart watch affixed to his wrist. He dialed triple-0, the country’s emergency line, but found himself tongue-tied when eventually connected.

“I really didn't know to to respond,” he admitted. “At this point, I was a long way out to sea, I was being buffeted by wind and big swells, it was actually quite difficult to utilize [the watch]. I had to hold it up to my ear to hear what was going on and speak to the respondent.”

Shearman spent an hour on the line with rescue services before he was finally located by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, which pulled him from the ocean and took him to Byron Bay Hospital.

"If it wasn't for being able to access that service in my watch I'd probably be bobbing out somewhere in international waters by now," Shearman said.

Due to his experience in the water, Shearman was able to remain calm throughout the entire ordeal. "I've been caught in rips before, many times over the years, and never panicked—just let it take you where it takes you and find a way to exit the water. But this wasn't going north or south, it was going straight out to sea.”

"No doubt I caused a lot of people on the beach distress, which I am apologetic for," Shearman reflected, before adding: “It's amazing that I was able to use that technology to save my life.”