Astonishing footage has captured the moment a man using a metal detector is almost swept away in giant swell as Cyclone Alfred nears the coast.
The man was only given a few seconds notice before the monster wave swept him off his feet and slammed him into a sand bank.
The footage, believed to have been filmed at a beach on the Gold Coast, quickly caught the attention of Aussies after it was shared online.
Many voiced their frustrations at the ‘idiot’ act just hours before Cyclone Alfred was due to cross the Queensland coast on Saturday.
‘What a moron,’ one wrote.
‘Probably better to wait a bit,’ a second pointed out.
‘This is incredible for those people who don’t know Gold Coast beaches stay away, it’s only for a couple of days. The water is unpredictable,’ a third said.
‘Well that was expensive,’ a fourth commented.
The man was almost swept away in giant swell as Cyclone Alfred crept closer to the coast
The man was slammed as a ‘moron’ for using a metal detector during the dangerous conditions
A small handful of Aussies saw a comedic side to the potentially deadly blunder.
‘Give him a break, he’s trying to pay his electricity bill,’ one joked.
Beaches along the east coast have been pummeled with giant waves as Cyclone Alfred creeps closer to Queensland.
It comes after David Crisafulli has savaged the ‘handful of idiots’ creating unnecessary headaches for emergency services by venturing into the swelling seas.
The Queensland Premier says that, in once instance, precious resources had to be wasted rescuing a jet-skier after they ignored warnings.
‘You have a handful of idiots who do that, and in the end, they don’t just put themselves at risk, they put the emergency services who may have to go and rescue them as well,’ he says.
It comes as beaches from the Sunshine Coast to Byron Bay remain officially closed with authorities imploring people to keep clear and stay safe.
Acting Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Peter Miles has warned the city has issued a disaster declaration, giving police extra powers to enforce community safety and slap people with fines to up to $16,000 for ‘reckless actions’.
