Riding what might have been the largest wave in surfing history was only the second-most impressive thing Brazilian Carlos Burle did on Tuesday.

Before catching that wave off the coast of Portugal, the surfer saved the life of his friend, fellow surfer Maya Gabeira, after she wiped out and was knocked unconscious. Burle was manning the rescue jet ski and had searched for five minutes after the crash without finding her. He feared the worst. Eventually, Burle found Gabeira floating facedown and heading for rocks. He quickly got her on a rescue sled and brought her to shore, where she had to be resuscitated, according to reports. She’s now resting comfortably in a hospital with a broken ankle.

“Maya almost died,” Burle said later. “For me, it was a big adrenaline moment to get back there after what happened.”

With the adrenaline surging, he made his first run and caught a wave that was estimated to be 100-feet high. If confirmed, it would break the world record of 78 feet set in 2011 by Hawaiian Garrett McNamara.

The big surge was caused by the St Jude’s storm that battered the coast of Europe early in the week.

“It was luck,” Burle told Stab magazine. “We never know when we will be catching the wave. I still hadn’t surfed any wave and everyone had already had their rides.”

Burle catching that particular wave may have been lucky, but his ability to successfully navigate it was anything but.

He wasn’t sure whether the wave hit 100 feet, but was confident that the wave was higher than the one McNamara rode in 2011. He credited the Hawaiian for his (likely) record, noting that without McNamara, surfers wouldn’t have known about the waves at Nazare.

“I’m happy to have been in the spot at the time. We have Garrett to thank. He introduced the big wave world to Nazare. He’s happy to share his knowledge as well, which is great. Garrett’s the man.”

The wave was the only one Burle caught on Tuesday.