A close call after man is rescued from shorebreak caused by beach restoration (PHOTOS)

On Wednesday, a young guy in a raft was paddling out to open water behind the Sea Oats Motel when he was toppled over by a shorebreak.

This is a condition where waves break directly in shallow water. Destin Beach Safety Chief Joe D’Agostino said shorebreaks are a natural side effect of the beach renourishment completed two years ago in that spot. In this incident, the man was 20 yards off shore where the ocean floor suddenly dropped from two feet in depth to six feet.

The wave swept the man over, and he hit his head in the shallower portion. Destin Fire Control responded to the call and the victim was taken by Okaloosa County EMS to Sacred Heart Hospital. The victim was responsive at the scene.

For more photos from the scene, click here.

D’Agostino said shorebreaks exist all over Destin.

“It’s the equivalent of falling from a ladder — he was in the wrong place at the right time,” D’Agostino said.