It was a sight to see—DOZENS of people joined together to save a family from drowning in Panama City, Florida, over the weekend.
But this wasn’t your typical water rescue.
Roberta Ursrey panicked when she heard her sons screaming for help while swimming in the water on Saturday.
Roberta Ursrey
In an effort to save them, she, along with a handful of other family members, ran in after them—only to become trapped by the current as well.
As if nine family members struggling to stay above water wasn’t enough, Roberta’s mother had a heart attack in the process.
“I honestly thought I was going to lose my family that day,” she told local news. “It was like, ‘Oh, God, this is how I’m going.’”
That’s when God sent Jessica Simmons with her boogie board. The Alabama native swam out to the family, while her husband recruited dozens of other beachgoers to form a human chain. Together, they stretched from the shore all the way out to the Ursrey family.
Jessica Mae Simmons
Once formed, the human chain rescued each of the family members—passing them down the line back to the beach.
“It was the most remarkable thing to see,” Jessica said. “These people who don’t even know each other and they trust each other that much to get them to safety.”
As for Roberta and her family, she says her mother was hospitalized due to the heart attack, and her nephew broke his hand. But thanks to the selflessness of others, her family is alive today.
“These people were God’s angels that were in the right place at the right time,” Roberta said. “I owe my life and my family’s life to them. Without them, we wouldn’t be here.”
