As 15-year-old Maria Duarte struggled to stay afloat off the coast of Brazil, all she could do was pray.
On that fateful day, Jan. 10, Duarte had been swimming alone near Praia do Olho Beach in São Luis, Maranhão, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
Eventually, the South Atlantic began taking its toll on the teenager.
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That’s when 31-year-old Olympic kitesurfer Bruno Lobo spotted her.
Lobo had been kitesurfing that day while testing out his camera, according to his Instagram post.
“After sailing a few meters I heard a cry for help and looked at the girl who was drowning,” Lobo wrote in his translated post.
“I quickly approached her with the kite, I tried to calm her down, and asked [her] to climb on
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