Australian soldiers rescue man drowning below jetty

A video has captured the dramatic moment Australian soldiers rescued a distressed man from dark waters below the popular Nightcliff Jetty in Darwin.

Videos of the rescue, originally posted on TikTok and later shared by veteran community The Pineapple Express, show concerned witnesses explaining to soldiers on the jetty that someone is in the water.

The person recording the video struggles to spot the person in the dark below.

The man was eventually pulled to the water’s edge on a lifebuoy and three soldiers dragged his limp body up onto the rocks.

He was carried away from the jetty on a stretcher by the soldiers, witnesses and a police officer, before another soldier appeared to provide medical assistance as a crowd of people watch on.

Hundreds of Aussies have praised the soldiers online, with some pointing out things could have been a lot worse given the crocodiles in the area.

NT Police said officers responded to “a person in distress” at the jetty about 7.40 p.m. on Wednesday.

“ADF were already in attendance and pulled the man from the water, where he was treated for non-life-threatening injuries,” a spokesman told news.com.au.

The person who uploaded the original video on TikTok claimed the swimmer had jumped in the water and then got tired.

The Pineapple Express said the soldiers had been training nearby.

The Australian Defence Force said the soldiers were from the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and were training nearby the jetty when there was an emergency situation.

“The soldiers worked with members of the public to rescue the person before Northern Territory emergency services attended the scene,” a Defense spokeswomen told news.com.au.

“The rapid response, teamwork and professionalism shown by these soldiers is a reflection of their training and is an outstanding demonstration of Defense values.”