Footage of a dramatic rescue at a Dunedin beach yesterday shows a surfer being pounded by large waves as he struggles to get to safety.
In the video, a man with a red surfboard can be seen struggling to get to concrete stairs beneath the esplanade next to St Clair Beach.
He is battered by strong waves that splash up and over the rail, where a crowd has started to gather.
Suddenly, a man runs down the stairs and throws over a lifeline to the surfer, a piece of rope, yelling at him to grab it.
As another monster wave crashes into them, the rescuer holds on tight and manages to help the surfer up the stairs to safety.