
On a seemingly ordinary day off the coast of São Luís, Brazil, what started as a routine training session for Olympic kite surfer Bruno Lobo turned into an extraordinary act of heroism.
Lobo was testing new equipment in some, let’s say, suspect conditions.
“It was a cloudy day, wind conditions were not the best, but I decided to test the support that had arrived, it was the first day using this material, I set the camera to record and went towards the coast,” Lobo said in a video.
That’s when he heard a desperate cry for help. His training session quickly transformed into a life-saving mission. Lobo used his gear to help a drowning teenage girl get to shore and start receiving medical help.
“After sailing a few meters, I heard a cry for help and looked at the girl who was drowning. I quickly approached her with the kite. I tried to calm her down and asked to climb on my back,” he said. “She was quite tired and without power. I used the equipment to bring her safely to the sand.”
Olympic kitesurfer Bruno Lobo rescues a 15-year-old girl from drowning.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 14, 2025
Beast.
Lobo, who represented Brazil in the Paris 2024 Games, noticed a girl struggling to stay above the water while he was kitesurfing.
Once Lobo got to the girl, he had her wrap her arms around his neck… pic.twitter.com/ArKOeIN1OA
Olympian Bruno Lobo Credits God
Video later shared on his Instagram captures the moment he spotted the young lady struggling in the water, her life hanging in the balance.
Without hesitation, Lobo approached her with his kite, offering words of calm, and instructed her to climb onto his back. She was exhausted, nearly out of strength, but with the Olympian’s help, they made it back to shore, where lifeguards were ready to provide first aid.
Despite his heroics, Lobo had no interest in taking credit for the rescue. Instead, he shifted that credit to God.
“The day that God used me as an instrument to save this young woman, all honor and glory to Him,” he wrote on Instagram.
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World Sailing Praises Lobo
A statement issued by World Sailing gave Bruno Lobo his due.
“Olympic kitesurfer Bruno Lobo jumped into action when he spotted a woman struggling in the ocean while training with his new camera off the coast of São Luís, Brazil. Using his kite, he carried her safely to shore,” the statement reads.
“Great job, Bruno.”
This incident does more than just highlight the physical capabilities of an Olympic athlete; it underscores the human spirit’s capacity for compassion and bravery – especially when aided by strength from above.
He could have sailed on by. He could have avoided the situation because he was concerned for his own safety in the currents. Instead, with an assist from God, Bruno Lobo became a hero.
Lobo competed in kite surfing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and has won two gold medals at the Pan American Games.
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