Olympics 2024: 'Tahiti's Water Angels' Safety Patrol shines during surfing
Cracked helmets, sutured skin and checks for concussions have been all been part of the Paris Olympics surfing competition, as surfers go head-to-head on the treacherous waves of Teahupo'o, Tahiti on their quest for gold.
While the competition has had big waves and wipe outs, surfers said it's thanks to the water safety patrol a team of highly-skilled, local workers patrolling with jet skis, helping to operate boats and constantly assessing oceans conditions from a watch tower that they've been able to enter the heavy, barrel-shaped waves with more confidence that they'll emerge unscathed.
The waves of Teahupo'o can be deadly, having claimed the life of at least one surfer. A jagged coral reef lies just below the ocean surface, often extremely close to where the waves break and within eyesight of surfers.
It's super dangerous. People don't realize it's the most dangerous place in the world ... so I'm just really happy to be in one piece, surfer Jack Robinson from Australia said afte