It’s officially summer time, which means lots of families are headed to the nearest beaches to catch some rays and enjoy the water. Days at the beach are usually all about relaxation, but sometimes, terrifying events can occur.
Recently, a dramatic moment took place in Panama Beach City, Florida, when a family on vacation became swept away by a powerful riptide beneath the surface of the water.
Roberta Ursrey and her family headed to the beach for a fun day, and all decided to take a dip in the water. Even though there were yellow flag warnings present, the warm water on a perfectly sunny weekend was too good to resist. However, when Roberta made her way out of the waves, she realized she was all alone.
Roberta’s husband, sons, nephews, and even her own mother were still somewhere in the water, being pulled under by the frightening tide.
The frantic mother returned to the water’s edge, where she could hear her entire family screaming out for help. Struck with fear that she would get pulled back under herself, Roberta had no idea what to do to help her loved ones.
Beach goers warned Roberta not to return to the water, as the riptide was clearly too strong and too dangerous.
"I honestly thought I was going to lose my family that day," Roberta recalled. "People were saying, 'Don't go out there.'"
Despite their warnings, Roberta decided to get back in the water in an attempt to rescue her family. Not surprisingly, she found herself caught in the strong current as well, making the count of frightening family members stuck in the riptide at 7 total.
Thankfully, a stranger named Jessica Simmons and her husband came to the aide of Roberta and her family. Jessica admitted that she first thought the ordeal was a shark sighting, but as soon as she realized a family was in danger, she knew she had to act fast.
"These people are not drowning today. It's not happening. We're going to get them out." she said.
Since there were no lifeguards on duty as well as no rescue equipment available, Jessica realized that she’d have to take matters into her own hands.
Luckily, some quick-thinking volunteers came up with the idea to form a “human chain” around the family. Dozens of people began to link arms and surround the struggling family, which helped them eventually make it back to the sand.
"I am so grateful. These people were God's angels that were in the right place at the right time. I owe my life and my family's life to them. Without them, we wouldn't be here." Roberta said.
As this incredible story has reached more and more people, faith in humanity is being restored. This just goes to show how powerful people can be when they come together for the greater good.
The quick thinking and kindness of strangers saved a family’s life at the beach that day!
“With everything going on in the world, we still have humanity." Roberta said.
What do you think about this story?
