Roger Casugay of the Philippines aimed for victory during the Men's Longboard Open event at the 2019 SEA Games, but he ended up achieving something else instead.

On Dec. 6, Casugay competed against Indonesian surfer Arhip Nurhidayat for a spot in the finals.

Even though Casugay did not win the competition, he won the respect of those who watched him save Nurhidayat.

Here's what happened.

Lost the lead but saved a friend

Nurhidayat's surfboard leash, which ties the surfboard to the surfer, broke and detached itself from the board during the competition, according to surfer Jefferson Ganuelas.

Nurhidayat was subsequently caught in huge waves, which caught the attention of Casugay.

At this point in time, Casugay was leading in points over Nurhidayat.

Casugay quickly rescued Nurhidayat from the waves, both making their way back on Casugay's surfboard.

Personnel on speedboats escorted them to shore, where audiences cheered and applauded the remarkable display of sportsmanship.

The two competitors laughed and smiled, patting each other on the shoulders. Nurhidayat also raised Casugay's hand in appreciation.

The match has since been postponed to Dec. 8.

You can see the full video of the rescue here: