Onlookers captured the moment a woman in the Bahamas was swept up by rough waves and became trapped by a rickety fence as witnesses rushed to her rescue. 

The woman, whose identity was not released, told authorities she was 60 years old and visiting the Bahamas from New York. 

She was enjoying a stroll on Cabbage Beach when massive waves pulled her in and a temporary construction fence on the shore prevented her from escaping the water. 

Witnesses screamed for help as the woman was pulled farther into the surf. Her head bobbed in and out of the water as she struggled to stay afloat. 

After about a minute, two lifeguards and multiple witnesses got close enough to pull her in as the waves beat down on the rescue crew. 

The group eventually pulled her ashore as good Samaritans lifted a gap in the fence so she could be brought to higher ground. 

Once she was back on the sand, emergency responders appeared to assess her well-being. 

The video was shared on social media by an advocacy group called Dis We Beach, which promotes open access to beaches across the Bahamas. 

An American tourist in the Bahamas was swept out to sea while walking alongside a fence 

Onlookers were seen rushing to help her as she struggled to get out of the surf due to a fence in the ocean 

Witnesses said nearby vendors grabbed her while lifeguards rushed to assist 

‘After a frightening rescue, she was brought safely out of the water, attended to and taken to the ambulance. We are withholding her name out of respect for her privacy — but tomorrow is her birthday. Thank God she gets to celebrate it. But Government cannot ignore what happened today,’ the group wrote on social media. 

‘This fence has created a serious public-safety issue. Even after the rescue, RIU lifeguards were struggling to stop tourists from continuing to walk around it along the waterline.’ 

Dis We Beach founder Selina Archer said in a video message that the incident occurred while organizers were protesting the fence. 

She recalled that vendors on the beach sprang into action to help while lifeguards ran down the beach. 

Vendors have protested the fence, arguing that it has impacted business. Advocates for beach access have also claimed that it creates a safety risk and prevents Bahamians from enjoying the shore.

Lincoln Deal, a Member of Parliament who represents Free Town, has also joined protesters in calling for developers to remove the fence and witnessed the harrowing incident. 

‘While we were on site today, we also witnessed a frightening moment as a tourist got into serious difficulty in the rough waters and had to be assisted to safety. Thankfully, what could have ended tragically did not,’ Deal said in a video message. 

‘Cabbage Beach must remain accessible to the Bahamian people, and the vendors who have worked there for years deserve clarity and protection,’ he continued. 

‘Who authorized this fence? Where is the approved boundary? And where are the written guarantees protecting public access and the vendors?’ 

Onlookers lifted up the fence so a crew of rescuers could bring the woman to shore 

Witnesses said the woman recovered after the harrowing scene. Vendors and beach access advocates have protested the fence, and government officials have now said it will be removed 

Zane Lightbourn, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, wrote in a statement that the government supports access to the beaches.

Lightbourn said the temporary fence was built to protect the public during construction, but the developer had not given adequate notice before erecting it. 

He added that the agency has asked for the fence to be removed and the Ministry of Works will take it down if the developer fails to do so. 

‘The Government’s position is clear: Beach restoration can proceed, but the process must respect the Bahamian people and the conditions under which approval was granted,’ the statement concluded.