Fisherman casts his line and reels in a drowning woman, saving her life

On a quiet night at Dias Beach in Mossel Bay, South Africa, a 31-year-old woman went for a midnight swim and nearly didn’t make it back. Strong rip currents pulled her farther from shore, and with no one else in the water, her situation quickly turned dangerous.

A group of local fishermen noticed her struggling in the surf. While others might have frozen or fumbled with what to do, one of them came up with a plan that no one could’ve predicted.

He reached for his fishing rod.

Fisherman at duskCanva

Using a Kabeljou hook, he cast his line into the water—not toward a fish, but toward the woman's jeans. He managed to catch the fabric and started reeling her in. Bit by bit, the current gave way to the fisherman’s steady pull. As she reached shallower waters, another man waded in to bring her safely to shore.

Water rescue teamCanva

Emergency responders, including the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI), South African Police Service, and local paramedics, arrived soon after. She was treated for symptoms of non-fatal drowning but didn’t require hospitalization.

“This was a truly remarkable rescue. The fisherman’s decisive action and skill made all the difference in saving her life.”
— NSRI spokesperson

The woman, who lives in George, South Africa, owes her life to quick thinking and an old-school fishing setup. The NSRI credited the fisherman’s unusual but effective method as a perfect example of using what you’ve got to solve a crisis.

Pulling someone to safetyCanva

Once the story reached the internet, it caught fire. People were amazed at the ingenuity—and, of course, the irony.

"That fisherman either just threw one of the luckiest casts ever or he's a f*in' pro,"** wrote u/Extra-Knowledge884.

"So what kind of bait does one use to catch a woman? Asking for a friend," joked u/Suspicious-Salad-213.

You never know what you may catch in the waterCanva

Others couldn’t resist leaning into the metaphor:

"This is one time you don’t throw them back." — u/SimilarElderberry956
"Plenty of Fish should use this story as an ad campaign!" — u/jamestheredd
"When the twin idioms of 'there are plenty of fish in the sea' and 'she's quite a catch!' intersect literally..." — u/AwwYeahVTECKickedIn

What started as a midnight emergency turned into one of the most unexpected fishing stories to ever hit Reddit. No bait, no fight, no fish. Just a cast, a hook, and a woman pulled back from the brink.