Professional surfer Laird Hamilton rescued a fellow surfer in Malibu around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The surfer lost his board in the intense waves and began waving for help, at which time Hamilton and another man came to his aid.

A rescue jet ski was sent out by Los Angeles County lifeguards to retrieve the man, but by that point he was safe. “He got swept, just got swept down toward the rocks, and then another surfer ran out. Laird grabbed his fins, swam out to him and brought him back in,” witness Bo Bridges told ABC.

Because of the extreme surfing conditions caused by Hurricane Marie, surfers have flocked to the location to try to surf the massive waves—despite the warnings. Hamilton provided a brief quote to ABC regarding the rescue.

“Oh, he was happy, he was thankful,” he said. “His eyes were big and he was appreciative that he was back on the land.”

Lifeguards have had to rescue 65 people, as of Wednesday afternoon. The Malibu Pier has even been closed after some of the pylons supporting it were damaged from the large waves. While the big-time surfers are enjoying the current conditions, others are worried, especially regarding whether or not the pier will collapse.

Check out the video below of Hamilton surfing the huge waves:

 

Image courtesy of Laird Hamilton/Facebook