Ian Arnett and Kellen Good had the day off from school Sept. 6, so they decided to go surfing.

The Kellam High School seniors headed to Little Island Park in Sandbridge in the hot, sunny weather. They said it was windy and the water temperature was about 70 degrees.

“There were a lot of riptides,” Kellen said.  The beach wasn’t crowded.

The friends — fellow golf team and wrestling team members — had surfed for more than an hour near the pier and were about 90 yards from shore when they realized something was wrong.

“We saw these guys kind of waving us down,” Ian said. At first, they thought someone saw a shark, but soon realized a man was floating face down about halfway between them and the beach.

“Adrenalin just kicked in, I guess,” Ian said.  He paddled over to the man, while Kellen headed to shore to make sure someone had called 911.

Ian pulled the man onto his surfboard and gave him a firm hit on the back.  He had learned the maneuver at school and credited physical education teacher and wrestling coach Ross Benzel. CPR training is a VBCPS graduation requirement.

The gesture made the man cough up water and take a breath, apparently opening his airway. Ian paddled with him on the surfboard toward land.

Ian, Kellen and several others got the man off the surfboard and onto the sand. They checked his airway to make sure he was breathing. A nurse happened to be on the beach and assisted before the paramedics arrived and took over.

The pair left as soon as they knew the man was OK and had medical help.

Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services Chief Jason Stroud applauded Ian and Kellen for their quick actions.

“If not for these two students, there could have been a very different and tragic outcome,” he said.

“It definitely shook us for a little bit,” Ian said. Both said they kept thinking about the incident that happened so quickly.

Their golf coach Sonny Blackmon heard about what happened from Ian’s father during the school’s football game that evening.

“Little did they understand how heroic their actions were that afternoon,” Blackmon said. Ian and Kellen’s parents taught them “the importance of doing the right things all the time.”

Kellam principal Dr. Ryan Schubart said he is proud of the Kellam seniors, who exemplify the school’s core values of leadership, integrity and unity.

“Despite the remarkable nature of their actions, they remained incredibly humble, seeking no recognition for their heroic acts,” Schubart said.

Both students said they reacted to someone’s need for help.

“We were in the right place at the right time,” Kellen said.