Adam Cook hailed as ‘hero’ after pulling man from the ocean in dramatic Denmark rescue

Exhausted and at the will of the Southern Ocean, Bradley Erkelens thought he was taking his final breaths between mouthfuls of seawater. A trip to idyllic Lights Beach had taken a disastrous turn, when Mr Erkelens and his partner, Maira Arima, were caught in a rip. Ms Arima had managed to scramble to safety after she was thrown on to rocks, emerging from the water with cuts all over her body. But as she screamed for help, Mr Erkelens’ hopes were fading fast. “I had no way of swimming out of that rip. I’d been swimming so hard to get out of the rip, my legs just weren’t working,” he said. “All I could do was float on my back, and when the waves would hit me, I’d swallow seawater. “I’d basically given up. One of the waves hit me and all I could see was water. I thought I was going to die.” For the young couple from Denmark, a swim at the local beach on a hot day had descended into chaos. But standing on the rocks, judging the pull of the current and push of the waves, Adam Cook was a picture of composure. Mr Cook waited for the right moment, then jumped into the ocean with a lifesaving ring in hand. “Adam acted really swiftly and just with such precision,” Ms Arima said. “He tried to get to my partner, and then a massive wave separated them, but he just went through it.” Mr Erkelens, who says he has been “reliving” the harrowing experience since it happened, has no doubt Mr Cook saved his life. “Adam jumped in and managed to get the ring around me. I was basically in tears at that point,” Mr Erkelens said. “I was thanking him as he pulled me in. When he pulled me on to the beach, I collapsed and threw up the seawater.” Mr Erkelens was put on a stretcher and the couple were taken to hospital for treatment. On Sunday, they were reunited with their “hero”, Mr Cook, at Lights Beach. “In my eyes, he was a hero because he just jumped in and it looked like a whirlpool. The current was so strong,” Ms Arima said. “He saved a life. I don’t think you can pay a price or buy a gift big enough for that.” The couple said they wanted to spread awareness about the dangers of rips at Lights Beach, particularly the right-hand section near the rocks. Underestimating the strength of the ocean had nearly cost them their lives, they said. For his part, Mr Cook agreed to speak out about the rescue in the interests of ocean safety, with a busy holid ay season about to start on the south coast. Mr Cook, a professional musician, swims laps at the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre two or three times a week. He also keep his first aid training up to date every year. “I think my confidence and swimming ability were the two factors that allowed me to enter the water, be aware of the risks I was putting myself under, and use the techniques to recover Bradley from the deeper water,” Mr Cook said. “I would like to advocate for individuals and families to develop a base level of swimming competency, as well as some first aid skills.” The humble hero praised Mr Erkelens for having the presence of mind to float on his back and follow instructions once he reached him. “I happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I happened to have the right amount of training,” he said.