Beachgoers form human chain to save family caught in rip
A family caught in a rip off Florida’s Gulf Coast have been saved by 80 beachgoers who formed a human chain and selflessly waded into the dangerous current.
The remarkable images, reported by the Panama City News Herald, depict the chain stretching into the deep water, where nine people gasped for their lives.
“I honestly thought I was going to lose my family that day,” Roberta Ursrey, who ran into the rough water to save her children. “It was like, ‘Oh God, this is how I’m going.’”
Another one of the brave beachgoers, Jessica, told the Herald that they went in after the family, while instructing others to connect with them in a chain.
“It was the most remarkable thing to see,” Simmons told the Herald. “These people who don’t even know each other and they trust each other that much to get them to safety.”
It’s a lovely story, but a reminder to always be vigilant at the beach.
Hero image credit: Facebook / Rosalind Beckton