Surf Coach Rescues Father, Daughter from Rip Current

OCEANSIDE, Calif. A surf coach at Westcliff University rescued a father and his 6-year-old daughter from a powerful rip current at Oceanside Harbor during a local surfing competition earlier this month, an act captured on bystander video that has drawn widespread praise for his quick response.

The incident unfolded near the South Jetty during the Western Surfing Association's Oceanside Harbor contest. Lucas Taub, 28, who has coached surfing for eight years, was positioned on the jetty overseeing competitors when he noticed the young girl, Coco Green, being pulled seaward by the current while playing in shallow water. Her father, Chris Green, who was about 100 yards away on the beach, sprinted into the surf to reach her. By the time he arrived, both were struggling to stay afloat, with Green holding his daughter above the waves but quickly becoming exhausted from the fight against the narrowing channel of fast-moving water.

Taub, dressed in street clothes, dove into the choppy ocean without hesitation and swam toward the pair. Video footage shows him navigating the turbulent surf to reach them as Coco screamed for help and Green fought to keep their heads above water. Taub then...