Mom Saved in Surf Seeks Hero Surfer

When the couple went to properly thank their hero, they realized he had left. They didn’t even get his name.

After putting a public call out on NBC 7, a Poway woman who was rescued from a riptide along Del Mar Beach has found the surfer she calls her hero.

Mia Glass was with her husband, Andrew, and their 3-year-old daugher at the beach in Del Mar around 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 when Mia decided to go swimming in the surf.

“Before you knew it, I was way out into the ocean, and I was getting beaten down on by a huge wave. I knew I needed help,” she told NBC 7.

A rip current had pulled Mia out into the ocean, and there were no lifeguards in sight, she says. She waved to her husband and screamed for help.

Andrew told NBC 7 he went out into the water knowing it was treacherous. He didn’t stop swimming to save his wife until a surfer paddled up next to him.

“He just showed up out of the blue to my right, tapped my shoulder and said he was going to go get her,” Andrew recalled.

That surfer paddled out to Mia, pulled her onto his surfboard and brought her safely to shore. Andrew says he rushed over, and when the two went to properly thank their hero, they realized he had left. They didn’t even get his name.

“I need to meet this person, and I need to look him in the eyes and say, 'Thank you so much,'” Mia said on Thursday.

Andrew echoed her appreciation. “Just thank you, and how grateful we are for saving my wife and potentially me,” he said.

On Friday, their wish came true. The mystery surfer contacted NBC 7's Candice Nguyen and plans to meet up with Mia soon. He wants to remain anonymous, but he says he was happy to help.

The family said they hope to donate to the charity of the surfer's choice to show their appreciation.

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