Denis Santos
- Beachgoers form a human chain to rescue a drowning family
- A family got stuck in strong rip current at a beach
It was a calm afternoon at Panama City Beach in Florida when the riptides seem to not get a hold of this family. In a report by CNN, a family got stuck in a rip current on Saturday.
Faith in humanity restored
Fortunately, bystanders on the shore noticed the waving and yelling of the family and instantly came to rescue. They saved the family by forming a human chain composed of nine beachgoers. They linked themselves together to bring back the family to land. The family who got stuck involved two children and an elderly woman.
A witness named Rosalind Beckton came out to share what happened. “I saw a group of people, a few at first, and then more and more, start forming a human chain,” she narrated. The chain was stretched to around 80 strangers who held hands just to reach the trapped family.
The story
Roberta Ursrey and her family were at the beach for vacation when she realized she could not see her children on the shore. In an interview, she said that she saw his boys, 8 and 11, crying in deep parts of the water.
Common instinct; Roberta with her family came to rescue the children. Unfortunately, they were overpowered by the current. The family got stuck alongside several others who tried to help her sons. Then the screaming and waving of arms started.
“Those waves were so heavy and big and strong,” witness Rosalind Beckton said.
The chain
The concerned citizens called the police and paramedics. After it has arrived, one police officer literally tested the waters and jumped into it. Moments after, he started swimming back, he could not make it. Beckton shared that for a time, they just stood there watching the family struggles.
The police, on the other hand, promised to get a boat for rescue. It took several minutes and that was the time when people started to take the situation into their own hands. They used boogie boards and surfboards to help the family get back to shore. One by one, they were able to pull out the family from danger.
See, there’s still a hope for humanity! [All photos from Rosalind Beckton]
