Rip currents from Tropical Storm Barry had made the surf perilous, and no one was allowed in past their ankles. A sheriff’s officer dove into the water to try to save them, and a few other rescuers followed shortly after. One by one, about three dozen people created a human chain that stretched from the sand into the waves, where they were desperately trying to reach the swimmers. At one point, Daniels said, the waves hit the human chain so forcefully that their rescue efforts became too perilous. Those who did not join the Good Samaritan chain helped by making “nonstop calls for rescue” Sunday, Panama City Beach Fire Rescue wrote on Facebook.

Source: Washington Post July 17, 2019 15:13 UTC