Featured Image Credit: ABC7
Topics: US News, Sport, California
Alice Wade
A woman who nearly died after taking a cold plunge has opened up about her harrowing experience after spending more than 30 minutes clinging to a rock in the desperate hope of being rescued.
Maxime Rancourt had begun the day with a kickstart to her adrenaline by taking an early morning swim in the San Francisco Bay area and heading out for an early morning dip.
But Rancourt got far more than she bargained for when, during a cliff diving session, she found herself having to be rescued by emergency services after powerful waves left her stranded in the ocean.
Reports state that around 32 people need to be rescued from this area each year due to strong currents.
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"I was looking at the waves and said they are so beautiful. I'm a good swimmer but I don't usually swim there," she told ABC News.
Rancourt said everything had looked 'fine' before she made the decision to take on the waves that day. But despite a smooth forecast, just seconds into her session, things took a turn for the worse.
A powerful current dragged Rancourt and her board out to sea, with the fierce waves carrying her farther.
She explained that the current took her 'almost 15 meters' away from the shore, adding: "All of a sudden, I was pulled away and then I wasn't very far yet. I thought I could still go in the water, but the water was so intense. It was the waves like this. I was stuck in the middle."
Eventually, after what felt like an eternity battling vicious waves, Rancourt located a rock on the edge of a cliff and dragged herself towards safety.
"The current was extreme. I jumped and grabbed the rock to stay there, and the water was still coming at me," Rancourt added. "Everything went so fast. I was on the rock and started climbing from left to right and then I realized that it wasn't a good idea, but it was the idea to save myself in the moment."
From there, she clung desperately to the rock - which was located in Kelly's Cove, around 70ft below the cliff's edge - wearing nothing but her bathing suit, anxiously awaiting the help of a passerby who might spot her and offer to help transport her to safety.
Finally, after a gruelling 30 minutes clinging to the large rock, someone saw her and immediately called emergency services, which arrived within just minutes of the call.
After arriving, a skilled firefighter then made the treacherous journey rappelling the rock to reach Rancourt, while two others were on site to ensure she was brought to safety, each securely holding a grab line at the top of the rock.
The winds in the area were reportedly unusually strong, and the sea was just 56 degrees Fahrenheit when Rancourt decided to take the cold plunge.
Following the dramatic rescue, a heartwarming video revealed a relieved Rancourt embracing her rescuer after the incident.
"Thank you for saving my life," she said gratefully.
"Because of you, I'm going to have a future, and I'm going to have kids," Rancourt added, beaming as she embraced the man who saved her life.
"I was told I was grateful to be alive, you know," she said during a teary interview with ABC News. "I could have died."
Following the terrifying ordeal, Rancourt currently has no plans to re-enter the water.