"Your willingness to place the safety of another above your own stands as an inspiring example of courage and humanity."
Three weeks ago, or thereabouts, a clip began making the rounds amongst surfers and surf fans. It featured a man of undetermined age coming up a cement ramp after a surf in Oceanside, shuffling, more or less, with a longer board underneath his arm. Benita Karo, who just so happened to be there that day, filming on her phone, shared, “I seen this wave, it was a big giant wave, and it was coming at him and he had no idea…”
With camera rolling, she captures the moment when the baby shore pound clipped the back of the man’s knees and bonked his head, hard, straight into some rocks.
Karo continues, “I see him upside down, face down in the water.”
Now, she could have kept recording the grisly scene but she did not. Without regard for her own safety, she waded into the water and kept the man’s head above the surface until help arrived.
As it turns out, the man is a 75-year-old ripper from Las Vegas who suffered fractures to his face and skull but is still alive all thanks to Karo’s heroism.
The great State of California recognized the act, officially, days ago by rewarding her a certificate on the very site where the action occurred just days ago.
It read:
On behalf of the California State Senate, we hereby commend Benita Karo for her extraordinary heroism and courageous actions in saving the life of a surfer off the coast of Oceanside. Your exceptional bravery, decisive actions, and selfless determination in the face of danger reflect the highest ideals of care and compassion. Your willingness to place the safety of another above your own stands as an inspiring example of courage and humanity. It is with great appreciation and admiration that we honor your swift and selfless response and recognize your outstanding contribution to our community.
Karo says she will put the award in a frame.
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After noticing some memory issues with my mom my sibling(s) and I kind of strongly encouraged her to get an appointment. It made most sense for me to bring her.
To a certain extent you just Know before anyone is formally diagnosed with anything but sitting in the room with her while she failed to remember the current president of the US was tough. Even though I knew deep down the past few years this would eventually come it still feels like it came out of nowhere.
Would love to see her get an old Caity Simmers, Borst surfboard on behalf of the O-side surf community for her to hang up in her garage. A very visible, colourful reminder from the surf community of its gratitude.
old fella took a serious lash there. Head to boulder, at 75 years old, must be quite the cleaning of the clock.
A certificate? Not even a coupon for a free Subway footlong?
Attaway Benita Karo!!