Surfers Rescue 6 People After Big Wave Capsizes Boat, Throws Family Into Ocean

Terrifying video shows the moment a massive wave off California’s coast capsized a boat and threw its occupants, a family of six, into the water earlier this month.

The family, made up of two parents and their children, were rescued by surfers who happened to be nearby when the boat went hull up on February 6. The surfers are being hailed as heroes for pulling the injured family out of the water.

NEW: California surfers jump into action despite massive waves after a boat with a family of 6 onboard got taken out by a large wave.

Video footage captures the moment the boat with four children and their parents tried beating a wave.

“I knew right away the wave was going to… pic.twitter.com/aOvsjcRQqU

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 14, 2026

The crash happened at Steamer Lane, a popular surfing spot off the coast of Santa Cruz. One of the surfers who reacted to save the people in distress was Darryl “Flea” Virostko, a big wave surfer and three-time winner of the lauded Mavericks competition.

“I knew right away the wave was going to get him, you know, and when it hit him, we all just kind of kicked into action and just like, we got to find these guys,” Virostko later told local media.

The four children were wearing life jackets, but the parents were not, according to KSBW.

“The kids had life jackets, so they were popping up. And then the parents were further inside and the boat was capsized – fishing line everywhere, fishing bait, just full yard sale,” said Virostko.

The rescue team included surfers as young as 14-year-old Ian Anderson.

“I looked over, and I saw a boat in the water, and then I looked in a different direction, and I see this kid floating in the water just yelling for help,” said Anderson in an interview alongside Virostko. “The surfing community is a pretty tight-knit community. When someone’s in trouble, we always come together to help that person.”

Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey met with some of the hero surfers last week to thank and commend them for their quick action and bravery. The Santa Cruz Fire Department said that 10 surfers in total responded to the capsized boat to drag the family out of the water.

“The surfers’ ages ranged all over, with two of them just 14 years old and helping save these people’s lives! The group shared their firsthand experience in responding to and helping people on the water,” the fire department said. “The Santa Cruz Fire Department is so grateful for our surfer community and what they did that day.”