As thieves were rummaging through his daughter’s car, a furious father ran out to confront the men while he was wearing nothing but his underwear. Although the robbers brandished their weapons, they soon realized they were no match for the half-naked hero — and it was all caught on video.

A no-nonsense dad became a local hero after brazenly taking on a band of armed thieves who had been terrorizing the neighborhood. The incident occurred in the early morning hours just outside the suburb of Mermaid Waters located on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Steve Middleton, 50, woke up around 4:30 a.m. on a Monday morning to prepare for a relaxing day of fishing when he heard a ruckus outside his home. He peered through the window and spied someone rummaging through his daughter’s car.

“I just assumed it was my daughter’s partner,” Middleton told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “Then I saw another head pop up on the other side, going through the other car. I was like ‘Oh s–t, we’re being robbed.’”

With no time to spare, Steve Middleton quickly put on a pair of underwear before bolting out the door to confront the thieves. Understandably, the sight of Middleton rushing toward them in his skivvies was enough to catch them off-guard.

“Realised I was starkers so had to put something on, didn’t want to scare them too much,” Steve Middleton told The Australian.

Middleton snatched up one of the robbers by his shirt and refused to let go. He says the thief began “squealing like anything” in an effort to get free. Just then, he noticed that the thief had accomplices, and several of them were armed with a baseball bat and a knife.

“I didn’t realise there was other kids in the other car up the street, I didn’t think anything of it,” Middleton said. “Once the bat came out I tried to use the young fella I was holding onto as my little shield.”

Steve Middleton’s hand was slashed with the knife in the skirmish. However, this wasn’t enough to get him to back down. Instead, he used one of the thieves as a human shield to stave off his friends’ attacks.

“All I was doing was trying to wrestle the young fella down,” Middleton said. “I was more screaming out for the neighbours and trying to get some help so we can just apprehend the young fella. He was only a little fella, easy enough to throw around,” he joked.

Unfortunately, the thief managed to wriggle free from Middleton’s clutches as the hero dodged several swings from the baseball bat. The suspect then joined his accomplices and fled in several stolen vehicles.

At the time of Steve Middleton’s interview, none of the suspects had been caught. However, Middleton has still been praised for his efforts. Thanks to his internet fame, his friends have affectionately given him a nickname.

“All my mates are calling me Captain Undies at the moment,” he said. “The youngest one wants to buy me personalised number plates.”

Despite the intense scene, Middleton had only one thing on his mind when the police arrived. As investigators were wrapping up taking statements, the good-hearted Aussie asked, “Am I right to go fishing yet?”

Unfortunately, Steve Middleton’s injury disrupted his fishing plans. However, he assured his fans that he plans to cast some lines as soon as it’s fully healed.

Middleton is an inspiration to locals, who are fed up with bands of unruly teens stealing and causing havoc throughout the city. Perhaps his efforts will make would-be thieves think twice before targeting the neighborhood “Captain Undies” patrols.