Saw this myself
Back in 1967 (I remember it like it was yesterday) I saw a guy fall out of a rubber boat while in an undertow approx 40' from shore. His friends pulled the rubber boat in to shore and seemed to overlook him. He did not do anything, just stayed there treading and bobbing and let the current take him further from shore and we could not understand why but decided that he was in trouble. I dove in and swam to him, more quickly that expected because of the undertow, and he immediately put his arms around my neck and said in a low, terrified voice that I will never forget "save me save me". So now I was trying to save both of us because he kept dunking me to get his head above water. I knew enough to swim to the center of the cove to get out of the undertow and got him on my back so I could swim. When I was about 40 yds from shore my friends swam out with an air mattress and took him, leaving me there. I somehow was swept back in the current and swam to some barnacle covered rocks that I climbed rather than getting back into the water. Barnacles are sharp and later I took 42 stitches in various places.
The guy I rescued said thanks. Since this was when I was in the Army and this was not an authorized beach I was reprimanded. Anyway both of us survived.
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