WATCH: Eyewitness recalls moment massive waves crashed into restaurant

Jason Livingstone was at the Marina Beach restaurant when the wave smashed into the establishment on Sunday, leaving five people injured. 

Lifeguards saved one person who was swept out to sea.

READ: Freak wave crashes into south coast restaurant, 5 hurt

"Everyone was screaming and shouting out of shock. They were surprised because a lot of them didn't see it coming. They were just watching the rugby. 

"Quite a few senior citizens in the lower part of the restaurant, and if you see in the video that water was ceiling-high, they got washed around. People got stuck at the back of the restaurant, in the toilets. Very lucky that no one drowned or the big furniture didn't crush anybody." 

Livingstone says he also saw a child being pulled away.

"You can see a child getting dragged down the beach if you look carefully. I saw that, and I stopped filming and handed my phone over to a friend of mine. I tried to get out onto the beach, but I was battling to get through all the wreckage, and then luckily, I saw two lifeguards, and they sprinted and got to her otherwise, that child would have been gone." 

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He says the restaurant has been destroyed, and they returned on Monday morning to help clean up. 

"It is absolute total chaos - a lot worse than I thought. Once we left last night, the waves kept coming in there. The entire place is destroyed."

WARNING: This video contains strong language and footage of a child in distress which could be upsetting to some viewers.