Posted on 06/20/2005 3:23:23 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
6/20/2005 - OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AFPN) -- An Airman here was expecting to have some fun in the sun on a weekend trip to the beach during a recent trip. He was not expecting to save children from drowning.
Staff Sgt. Jozsef Nagy, an Internet services technician with the Air Force Weather Agency, was attending a network management training class at Kessler Air Force Base, Miss., when he and fellow classmates took a day trip to Pensacola Beach, Fla. Sergeant Nagy said it was a beautiful day, and the beach was packed with people soaking up some weekend sun. He was wading in the water when one of his classmates yelled, “Are those kids in trouble?”
Sergeant Nagy said he turned and noticed three children who were about eight feet in front of him; all ppeared to be struggling in the water. He then saw a young boy, about 7 years old grab hold of an older girl. The girl, who was about 12 years old, went under the water from the weight of the boy. He said it was then that another girl, who was about 8 years old, turned to him and asked, “Can you help us?”
“I didn’t think; I just reacted,” said Sergeant Nagy, who has been in the Air Force for six years.
Sergeant Nagy dove underwater and reached the children in a matter of seconds, pulling the older girl from under the water. He said the other two children grabbed hold of him almost instantly. At that point, he said he told them to calm down and that he was there to help.
They were about 60 feet from the shore, and standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall, Sergeant Nagy said he could barley touch the ground. As he headed toward the shore, he had to tread water to keep his head, and the three children that clung to him, above water. He said the force of the waves was huge and that he had to fight with it to keep from losing ground.
“It felt like that with every two steps forward, the (waves) pulled us back one step,” he said.
Sergeant Nagy, a father of a 3-year-old, said his parental instincts were in high gear, and he zeroed in on getting everyone safely to shore. Once he reached shore, he said the two smaller children ran off without a word. The older girl sat there for a few moments as she caught her breath.
“You could tell she was tired, probably both physically and emotionally,” he said.
Sergeant Nagy said he asked her if she was OK. She just nooded her head and then walked away.
“Knowing that they were OK was all the thanks I need,” Sergeant Nagy said.
But not everyone thinks he should go without recognition.
“The Air Force is about service and sacrifice, and Sergeant Nagy demonstrated both of these when he put his own life in danger to save three children from certain harm, and possible death,” said Col. David Handle, AFWA’s communications and information directorate director. “If that isn’t heroism, I don’t know what is.”
Sergeant Nagy shrugs off his “hero” status and credits his Air Force training for his actions.
“The Air Force teaches you attention to detail, situational awareness and to stay clam under pressure,” he said.
All of which served this Airman, and three young children, very well.
Staff Sgt. Jozsef Nagy, an Internet services technician with the Air Force Weather Agency, was attending a network management training class at Kessler Air Force Base, Miss., when he and fellow classmates took a day trip to Pensacola Beach, Fla. Sergeant Nagy said it was a beautiful day, and the beach was packed with people soaking up some weekend sun. He was wading in the water when one of his classmates yelled, “Are those kids in trouble?”
Imagine the interview attempt:
"So Sergeant Nagy, in the course of the rescue did you desecrate any Korans? ...no? Pack up the camera Billy, there's no story here."
True heroics by a humble man. God bless him.
Well done.
LVM
Way to go SSgt Nagy!!!
These guys are always heroes...on duty or off, active or retired, soldier or civilian.
bump for a hero
Outstanding!!!
Another Hero!
Amen! Would that most of the American population be as wonderful as our men and women in uniform... God Bless Them All!
Kids obviously aren't aware of the undertow. Each time they bounced or left their feet the undertow would take them a little further out until they were eventually over their heads without realizing it it. The Sgt called it the waves but the waves move toward shore not away from it. As the water recedes it does so from underneath and is unnoticable by looking at the surface. Can be very dangerous for unsupervised kids and poor swimmers.
You got that right! The 55-year old one I know saved a drowning neighbor boy who broke through a frozen pond. He never gave it a thought. The sheriff sent him a thanks for the 'attempted' rescue letter. LOL! He was safe by the time rescue arrived.
Big bump to your friend!
Thanks for sharing that story :)
Thanks for the ping!
You called it! Undertow and rip tides have plagued the Emerald Coast shoreline since the Hurricanes of 2005 hit this area hard, and apparently destroyed some sand bars that had been protecting the shoreline from undertow and rip tides.
Over the past 2 weeks, since tropical storm Arlene, I've been reading how the area has been bothered with rip tides since Jeanne and Ivan came through. Shoreline and beach restoration is still being implemented, with some major areas near Pensacola not yet finished.
And the poster above is correct - yet another piece of news that the media won't publish. I live here, and haven't seen this on either the local news or in the NWFL Daily News!! Without the AF news service, we wouldn't know about this hero, SSGT Nagy.
Someone near him noticed the children might be in trouble, but it took SSGT Nagy to react and rescue them!! Way to go, Air Force!!
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