Canadian lifeguard rescues four while on vacation in Indonesia

A Canadian man proved that looking out for other people never takes a vacation.

Samuel Rousseau-Mascolo was vacationing in Bali, Indonesia, when he saw four beachgoers battling to keep their heads above water, reports CBC News.

The 20-year-old lifeguard’s instincts quickly took over as he scurried to find someone with surfboards.

“I had to do something,” he told La Voix De l’Est.

He and the surfboard owner raced into the cold Canggu beach waters to reach the struggling swimmers, who were being carried by the current.

“Each of us [had] two swimmers clinging to our surfboard, which we used as a lifesaver,” Rousseau-Mascolo told CBC News.

There were only a dozen meters separating the stranded from the beach, but because of the powerful winds and currents, it took around 12 minutes to bring them back to dry land, reports La Voix De l’Est.

One of the rescued, he said, was so weak that “a simple wave could make him fall.”

The victims – who were luckily all breathing – were then taken to the hospital to prevent “secondary drowning” that could occur because of their water intake.

The young man from Bromont, Que. is now being hailed a hero after his valiant off-the-clock rescue.

The Sherbrooke University law student currently works at the aquatic park at Ski Bromont, reports CBC News.

And even when on vacation, he said he’s “a lifeguard at heart.”