A 20-year-old Asbury Park lifeguard rescued a man who fell from a boat off 5th Avenue and suffered severe injuries from the propeller.

Henry Buerck, who also has Coast Guard training, jumped into action to help save the boater's life.

“We were bumping back and forth all day long helping with other assists,” said Buerck. “What we saw was two people on board passing by our lifeguard stand driving quite fast in a 16-foot boat. All of a sudden, the person operating the boat lost control and came hard to port, ejecting the other person on board.”

Without missing a beat, the Avon-By-The-Sea native, lifeguard and experienced surfer jumped off the stand and ran into the water.

“I took a paddleboard and paddled right out to the boat. When I got there, I noticed an individual on the boat, and he appeared to be injured and was saying that he had to go to the hospital,” he said.

Buerck guided the boat’s operator away from the swimmers, through the dangerous surf and onto the sand so first responders could help the badly injured man.

“We could not wait for the Coast Guard. We could not wait for the state police due to the injury. I wanted to beach the boat as soon as possible to get him to higher care," he said.

Trained experts say when it comes to boat propeller injuries, speed is of the essence.

It took less than 10 minutes from the time Buerck saw the man fall off until he was loaded into an ambulance.

“The speed of which the incident was handled and what happened after that with preparation and transport to the hospital was very important in keeping this guy as safe as we possibly could,” said Joe Bongiovanni, a longtime Asbury Park Beach safety supervisor.

That speed and lifesaving instinct came from Buerck’s extensive lifeguard training and from his other job – a Coast Guard Boat operator with Barnegat Light Station.

“I was just doing my job. I joined the Coast Guard to help people, and I love being a lifeguard because I get to help people, so I just got to do my job,” said Buerck.

The victim’s son released the following statement: “I am very thankful for the lifeguards on duty that day. Their quick response was what saved my dad's life. I'm not sure what I would have done without them there. Asbury Park is fortunate to have such a strong crew keeping the beaches safe."

“You can't be caught and not ready for a call like that. We are here for the people so you can't just not be there for them,” said Buerck.

The victim is expected to make a full recovery.

Buerck and the rest of the staff at Asbury Park Beach want to remind boaters to always follow safety protocols and wear life jackets at all times.