'God's Angels' Form Amazing Human Chain to Save Family Drowning in Florida Beach
It was a sight to behold: About 80 men and women of differing races appearing like "God's angels" who formed an amazing human chain to save a family of six and at least three other swimmers from drowning in the treacherous waters off a Florida beach.
The extraordinary rescue happened on Saturday in Panama City Beach, the Northwest Florida Daily News (NWFDN) reported.
Roberta Ursrey and her family—her 31-year-old husband, 67-year-old mother, two sons aged 8 and 11 and a 27-year-old nephew—were enjoying their time at the beach when she realized she was the only one who made it to shore.
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When she looked back she saw them screaming and crying for help as the current was causing them to drift farther away.
Ursrey swam back to try and rescue them but she, too, was swept by the current in about 15 feet of water.
"I honestly thought I was going to lose my family that day," Ursrey later told reporters. "It was like, 'Oh God, this is how I'm going.' "
Fortunately, a courageous and selfless woman named Jessica Simmons was there to save the day for the beleaguered family and the other endangered swimmers.
"These people are not drowning today," Simmons said to herself. "It's not happening. We're going to get them out."
She then grabbed a boogie board and swam toward them. At the same time, her husband and some other men started forming a human chain that consisted of 80 people linked together to bring the swimmers back to shore.
Some of the people who joined the chain didn't even know how to swim and they were in water up to their necks, according to NWFDN.
Thanks to them, everyone was rescued just before sunset. Ursrey's mother, Barbara Franz, reportedly suffered a heart attack and was rushed to the nearest hospital.
For Ursrey, what happened was simply amazing. "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," she said.
"It actually showed me there are good people in this world," she told The Washington Post.
In a Facebook post, Simmons echoed her sentiment: "To see people from different races and genders come into action to help TOTAL strangers is absolutely amazing to see!! People who didn't even know each other went HAND IN HAND IN A LINE, into the water to try and reach them. Pause and just IMAGINE that."
