A class of 17 lifeguards rescued a drowning surfer in New Zealand early this week, interrupting their training exercises and jumping into action when they noticed James Tuhikarama floating near shore during a surf competition. The guards, 14 students and 3 instructors, were conducting drills at Christchurch’s New Brighton Beach when they saw Tuhikarama, a 25-year veteran of the North Wai Boardriders, unconscious in the water. “We raced down to the water and performed everything we’d just been talking about,” . They team briefly revived Tuhikarama, getting “a whole lot of salt water out of his lungs,” , before he was rushed to the hospital. Tuhikarama remained in critical condition as of midweek.
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