Posted on 07/11/2017 2:09:05 PM PDT by JoeProBono
When Jessica and Derek Simmons first saw the beachgoers pausing to stare toward the water, the young couple just assumed someone had spotted a shark.
It was the evening of July 8, after all, peak summer season in Panama City Beach for overheated Florida tourists to cross paths with curious marine life. Then they noticed flashing lights by the boardwalk, a police truck on the sand and nearly a dozen bobbing heads about 100 yards beyond the beach, crying desperately for help.
Six members of a single family - four adults and two young boys - and four other swimmers had been swept away by a powerful and deceptive riptide churning below the water's surface.
"These people are not drowning today," Jessica Simmons thought, she told the Panama City News Herald. "It's not happening. We're going to get them out."
She was a strong swimmer and fearless in the face of adversity. But others had tried to reach them and each previous rescue attempt had only stranded more people.
There was no lifeguard on duty, and law enforcement on the scene had opted to wait for a rescue boat. People on the beach had no rescue equipment, only boogie boards, surf boards and their arms and legs.........
(Excerpt) Read more at mlive.com ...
In the turd world the best they would offer would be to snap pictures of the victims and post them on facebook.
Yes, good story. Panama City is very different from other parts of Florida.
Concerning riptides, I was always taught to go with the current until it ends, then swim sideways and head into the beach.
Wow, I was stationed at Tyndall AFB in 1957 and have never been back.
I don’t recognize the place.
If you are ever about to give up on things, something like this comes along and you are blown away at how wonderful people can be.
“law enforcement on the scene had opted to wait for a rescue boat.”
Ha! brings back some memories. Had the same thing happen to a guy stranded in a flood by a creek by my old house. Guy was on the roof of his car, on the bridge (it wasn’t a big bridge) Stuck there as long as the water didn’t get higher and take him over the rail the car would likely stay. I told the cop we could get him. I had long lines from my old boat and life jackets. He was about 15 feet away and the water wasn’t that deep on the bridge, the water was moving fast but not bad, frankly he could have walked out, but I think he didn’t know how to swim and was scared. I’ve been in worse situations. The cop said he wouldn’t help me and then when I said I could get him he said he would arrest me if I tried. In the end the water rescue team came with their boat and tried to launch, aborted that plan and formed a human chain with a rope to get him which is what I had proposed to the waiting cops about 40 minutes earlier.
Swim sideways (parallel with the shore) until you're out of the rip, then swim to shore.
Remembering that prolly saved my life in `79 off Ocean beach, San Diego.
Not a bad swimmer at all, but the harder I tried to swim to shore the farther away I found myself.
Don’t panic, just remember: swim parallel to shore, then try again.
I was at Tyndall in 1987, and have been back a few years ago and didn’t recognize PCB. It’s 10 times better; wish I could say the same for Tyndall. Sadly not one of the better bases anymore.
That’s some rough looking water. Not big waves but with some nasty chop.
I’m surprised this worked.
Makes you proud to be an American.
Just amazing.
Reminds me of the time all those private boats went out to rescue Capt. Sully and his passengers in the Hudson River.
Or the massive boatlift on 9/11 to get folks off of Manhattan Island.
Sometimes you just have to take the initiative and try.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I was at Tyndall when the F-104 “Starfighter” was introduced and the Sidewinder missile. PC was a village with a few bars. The drink of the day was”CC and 7” (Canadian Club and 7UP) cost was $0.50. I did a lot of spear fishing under the bridge near Tyndall.
I had a similar experience - I grew up on the Pacific Ocean and only went into the water when the tide was incoming.
Did it a thousand times.
I NEVER went out deeper than mid chest in the water. I’m a good swimmer, but was uncomfortable past this level.
The beach I lived on was very shallowly sloped, so you were out 150 feet when you were chest deep, though there were great waves!
One day, like you, I got caught in a riptide. I was body surfing, got rolled by a wave, and it took maybe 10 seconds to surface... I was half a mile from shore and going out.
Just like you I swam parallel to the shore — when I hit land I was more than a mile from home.
BTW, use ‘prolly’ again and I’ll set a rouge wave after you!
You're right - swimming WITH the riptide's a person's best chance...or better yet just float with it until it gives out - - then swim to shore.
My brother flew F-94s , finishing training at Tyndall in the 1950’s. I remember PC Beach as miles of sugar white sand with only an occasional orange juice stand every mile or two ! Totally different now !
Avesome story!
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