Astonishing footage has captured the moment a man using a metal detector is almost swept away in giant swell as Cyclone Alfred nears the coast.
The man was only given a few seconds notice before the monster wave swept him off his feet and slammed him into a sand bank.
The footage, believed to have been filmed at a beach on the Gold Coast, quickly caught the attention of Aussies after it was shared online.
Many voiced their frustrations at the ‘idiot’ act just hours before Cyclone Alfred was due to cross the Queensland coast on Saturday.
‘What a moron,’ one wrote.
‘Probably better to wait a bit,’ a second pointed out.
‘This is incredible for those people who don’t know Gold Coast beaches stay away, it’s only for a couple of days. The water is unpredictable,’ a third said.
‘Well that was expensive,’ a fourth commented.
A small handful of Aussies saw a comedic side to the potentially deadly blunder.
‘Give him a break, he’s trying to pay his electricity bill,’ one joked.
Beaches along the east coast have been pummeled with giant waves as Cyclone Alfred creeps closer to Queensland.
More to come.