When Reddit user Hobviously shared his rescue experience, it was far from what anyone could have ever anticipated.
Good Samaritan
The International Life Saving Federation estimates that its 120 “Members Federations” comprised of lifeguards across the globe save one million lives per year. The chances of drowning at a beach on their watch is 1 in 18 million, or 0.0000055 percent. However, no good deeds go unpunished.
Unexpected Journey
When someone acts fast to save a life, there’s a chance that they might be facing a lawsuit. That’s what happened to Hobviously, the pseudonym of one Reddit user named Stephen who experienced the most intense and unnecessary legal battle of his life after visiting a California beach…
Trained Swimmer
Stephen was a trained swimmer. He had completed all the necessary classes for lifeguard certification. However, swimming was only a hobby for him, and he eventually ended up going down a different career path. It’s a good thing he was at the beach that day…
Pulled By The Current
“For those of you inexperienced with seashores and beaches, the sea will always push you back to the shore unless you are further than a given point,” he wrote. After that, the strength of the current either pushes you deeper into the ocean or keeps you in the same spot. It’s impossible to float back to the shore without drowning of exhaustion.
Too Far
Stephen was at the beach with friend when he noticed a girl who seemed dangerously far from the shore. “By ‘too far,’ I mean way too far,” he wrote. She was at least twice as far out than anyone else…
Drowning
The girl was clearly gesturing that she was drowning. Her head was barely above water. Stephen looked around the beach for a lifeguard, but he didn’t see anybody…
Quick Decision
Stephen was faced with a fast decision: either he could wait until a lifeguard came, or swim out to sea and try to rescue her himself. He had to make a choice.
Tragic Fate
The girl was drifting further and further away from the shore every second. Stephen knew he needed to brave the choppy waters and save her from a terrible fate…
Coming For Her
Stephen knew he was fast enough to reach in time. He had been swimming for most of his life. He dove into the water, racing toward the drowning girl.
Too Heavy
Stephen was worried that their combined weight would be too heavy to keep them both afloat. By the time he made it all the way out into the water, he saw that the girl was beginning to lose consciousness.
Moving Fast
The girl had swallowed enough water that if Stephen didn’t get to her in time, she would drown in minutes. Finally, he reached her. Stephen wrapped an arm around her waist and started swimming back to shore.
Getting Tired
Halfway back, Stephen started to go weak as the adrenaline left his body. Their weight together felt heavier and heavier. Dry land was only a few hundred feet away…
Back at the Beach
Stephen powered through the wall, knowing both his life and the life of the woman he had saved depended on it. They finally made it back to the shore…but the situation was far from over.
Bad News
The woman immediately went to the hospital. Stephen was beyond exhausted, but all he cared about was that the woman was safe now. However, he soon heard the last news anyone could have expected…
Bills On Bills
The woman, who remained anonymous, was in the hospital for three days. Her visit was too expensive for her to afford, so she tried to sue the owners of the beach for compensation…
Lawsuit
Her case was rejected. Stephen was then shocked to find that the woman had then moved on to sue him. But for what?
Careless
Stephen learned the woman was suing him because she believed that Stephen should have saved her earlier. She said he had been careless…
All His Fault
The woman claimed Stephen didn’t get her to shore fast enough and should have let the real lifeguard do his job—even though he wasn’t even on the beach at the time. Stephen was flabbergasted.
Sustained Injuries
The woman said that Stephen had caused her immense pain and added to her injuries. She said she wouldn’t have swallowed as much water if he had gotten to her soon.
No Other Choice
Stephen was completely blown away. He had no idea what to do in response besides hire a lawyer of his own to defend him against…being a good samaritan?
Only Option
Stephen felt betrayed. All he had tried to do was save her life, and she was repaying him by costing him thousands of dollars in legal fees. One of the charges was that he had injured the woman while performing CPR.
Bad Lawyer
Stephen had no idea what the alternative could be. Would she rather have…not received CPR? He didn’t understand. He had to push the air into her lungs in order to force her to empty them of water or else she would have drowned! Despite the ridiculous charges, Stephen’s first lawyer was completely useless…
Take The Plea
Attorney rates can be anywhere from $150 to $500 an hour. Stephen knew there was a chance he’d never get the money back even if he won the suit. He paid his first lawyer $3,500, only to be told something that infuriated him…
Legal Fees
The lawyer recommended Stephen accept a deal with the defendant. He said Stephen’s legal fees alone would be more than the deal itself. She had sued him for $150,000. Stephen was shocked.
Losing Funds
The lawyer said Stephen should offer to settle for $20,000 which was the cost of her medical bills plus legal fees and lost wages. Immediately, Stephen rejected his idea and fired him after an $800 deposit. The lawyer had only worked a maximum of three hours on Stephen’s case. He was forced to look elsewhere for legal representation…
Second Attorney
The second attorney Stephen hired actually saw the case from start to finish. Stephen spent months on end trying to get the case dismissed…
Months Went By
The lawsuit continued for almost four months. They filed a motion to dismiss, and it was eventually granted. But that wasn’t the end for Stephen’s legal troubles…
Should He Sue Her Back?
Stephen thought about whether or not he should countersue. The woman’s claims had landed him in the middle of a financial debacle. If he wanted to engage, he could sue her for a frivolous lawsuit or for his legal free…
Dangerous Choice
It was risky. If Stephen won against her, which might not even be the case, there was no guarantee she would ever pay him. And, if Stephen lost, he’d be knee-deep in even more legal fees…
Safe Bet
Stephen figured that his safest bet was just to pay the court costs and move on. It was a blow to his ego, but if he kept pursuing the case in court, the steep legal fees would continue to mount. In the end, he made the choice he felt was responsible…
Leaving The Risk
In the end, Stephen decided not to pursue the woman in court. She had almost lost her life. Despite everything, Stephen knew that he had made the right choice by diving in the water to save her. He learned that sometimes there are situations where you should walk away—and some where you absolutely shouldn’t.