2 men rescue teen from water in Rancho Palos Verdes - caught on tape

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. (KABC) -- When Rob McNulty took his kids to the beach, he never expected he'd be diving into the water, risking his own life to save another.

McNulty, his children and his friend Hillary Swanson went to meet up with McNulty's other friend, Gary Golding, so they all could check out the Abalone Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes.

"It was going to be just a day at the beach showing children nature," said Golding, of El Segundo.

But, the water was rougher than they'd ever seen it.

"I didn't want to go anywhere near it," said McNulty, of Burbank.

A young man in his late teens fell into the water, and was soon unconscious. Golding tried to grab him, but was pulled in.

"At the point I really realized how helpless I was, and I was basically fighting for my life," said Golding.

Swanson tried to direct the rescue effort, all while capturing everything on her GoPro Hero.

"I was really scared, I've never seen anything like that in my life before," Swanson said.

McNulty spotted the young man unconscious, when a lull in the current came.

"I thought, 'This is his only chance.' The next thing I knew my feet left the rocks and in I went, and I grabbed him," McNulty said.

His kids watched, terrified.

"He was crying I didn't want to cry. I was starting to," said McNulty's son, Jacob.

McNulty pulled the young man out of the water. He began performing CPR, which he remembered from training he received 20 years ago. McNulty was soon joined by Golding.

"I thought he was dead at that point," McNulty said.

"Rob had said to me, 'I think he's dead.' And I was like, 'No, no, we're not going to give up on this kid,'" said Golding.

McNulty's legs were cut up, as the waves continued to pound during the CPR.

Eventually, lifeguards arrived, and the young man began breathing.

"I was elated. I knew everything was going to be beautiful," said Golding.

The teen who was rescued wants to remain anonymous. He is now in the hospital recovering, but the rescue, no doubt, saved his life.

McNulty spoke with the young man's doctor.

"He said that if I hadn't gotten to him within a minute more, he would have been dead," McNulty said.

"I think my dad is a hero, I think Gary is a hero too," Jacob McNulty said.