Every day, somewhere, someone does something brave—and most of the time, it barely makes a ripple in our news feeds. But this week in Santa Cruz, bravery showed up on surfboards.
A boat drove straight into heavy breaking surf off West Cliff Drive and capsized, throwing a family of six—including four kids—into chaotic, dangerous water. No life vests. Big waves. Debris everywhere. The kind of scene where panic spreads faster than help.
Except help was already there.
Surfers didn’t wait for sirens. They paddled toward the chaos. Among them: big-wave legend Darryl “Flea” Virostko, who realized instantly this wasn’t just a wipeout—it was a rescue. He grabbed the father. Another surfer took the mother. Others scanned the lineup, shouting, searching, counting heads while sets kept crashing down on them. “Very sketchy,” as Flea put it. That’s surfer code for this could go very wrong, very fast.
But it didn’t.
Because ordinary people did something extraordinary.
Surfers, lifeguards, marine rescue teams, and first responders converged. Boards became lifelines. Arms became anchors. One by one, every single person was pulled out of a situation that could have turned tragic in minutes.
All six were saved.
No capes. No press conferences. Just humans seeing danger and choosing action.
We talk a lot about heroes in movies, markets, and mythology. But real heroism usually looks like this: wet, chaotic, unplanned—and powered by people who simply refuse to look away.
Carpe Diem isn’t about chasing perfection.
It’s about showing up when it matters.
Today, let’s remember that courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it just paddles hard into ugly water and says, I’ve got you. 🌊💙