{"id":77571,"date":"2017-07-12T10:47:32","date_gmt":"2017-07-12T14:47:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=77571"},"modified":"2017-07-12T10:53:47","modified_gmt":"2017-07-12T14:53:47","slug":"north-florida-beach-miracle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/?p=77571","title":{"rendered":"NORTH FLORIDA BEACH MIRACLE!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Beachgoers form incredible human chain to save drowning family<\/h1>\n<p><!--more--><div id=\"attachment_77572\" style=\"width: 658px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413431-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqNJjoeBT78QIaYdkJdEY4CnGTJFJS74MYhNY6w3GNbO8.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-77572\" class=\"size-full wp-image-77572\" src=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413431-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqNJjoeBT78QIaYdkJdEY4CnGTJFJS74MYhNY6w3GNbO8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"648\" height=\"405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413431-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqNJjoeBT78QIaYdkJdEY4CnGTJFJS74MYhNY6w3GNbO8.jpg 648w, https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413431-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqNJjoeBT78QIaYdkJdEY4CnGTJFJS74MYhNY6w3GNbO8-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 648px) 100vw, 648px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-77572\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Strangers form a human chain to help save nine people caught in a riptide CREDIT: FACEBOOK<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<p>Mark Molloy<br \/>\nThe Telegraph<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter m_first-letter--flagged\">T<\/span>his is the incredible moment strangers on a beach formed a human chain to save a drowning family caught in a riptide in the Gulf of Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of beachgoers, including some who couldn\u2019t swim, joined together and linked arms to help\u00a0nine people, including two young children, swept away by the powerful offshore current.<\/p>\n<p>Around 70-80 people were involved in the dramatic rescue effort on a busy Panama City Beach in Florida on July 8.<\/p>\n<p>Mother Roberta Ursrey\u00a0told\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/morning-mix\/wp\/2017\/07\/11\/a-riptide-swept-away-a-florida-family-then-beachgoers-formed-a-human-chain\/?utm_term=.4d735adaaf7a&amp;wpisrc=nl_most-draw10&amp;wpmm=1\">the Washington Post<\/a>\u00a0she feared her family were going to die as the human chain was being formed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to die,\u201d she recalled thinking at the time. \u201cMy family is going to die this way. I just can\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"articleBodyImage section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-image component \" data-frz-ancestor=\"\" data-frz-ratio=\"1.60\">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image article-body-image-image \" data-width=\"320\" data-height=\"200\" data-alt=\"human chain\u00a0\" data-frz-ratio=\"1.60\" data-src=\"\/content\/dam\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413481-small_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqH__iOTo5LhslhtQ4mWA7PJ3G-oMqd7JJS4_RoPtsL1M.jpeg\" data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image__source\" src=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/TELEMMGLPICT000134413481-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqH__iOTo5LhslhtQ4mWA7PJ3G-oMqd7JJS4_RoPtsL1M.jpeg\" alt=\"human chain\u00a0\" \/><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"article-body-image-caption\">Strangers form a human chain\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"article-body-image-copyright\"><span class=\"article-body-image-copyright-label\">CREDIT:<\/span>\u00a0FACEBOOK\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyText section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-text component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter m_first-letter--flagged\">T<\/span>he ordeal began when Stephen Ursrey, 8, and his 11-year-old brother Noah, were separated from their family and became stranded in the riptide around 90 metres from the beach.<\/p>\n<p>Strangers heard their screams and swam towards the boys, but soon found themselves caught in the riptide. A Chinese couple were also caught up in the drama.<\/p>\n<p>Ms Ursrey, 34, then\u00a0spotted her boys were in trouble and jumped in, along with three members of her family, but they were also overpowered and struggled for 20 minutes to stay above the water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"htmlEmbed section\">\n<div class=\"html-embed component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJessiemae1691%2Fposts%2F1540121202684955&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"491\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyText section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-text component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter m_first-letter--flagged\">M<\/span>eanwhile, a group of surfers helped drag one person in the water back to safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dynamicMpu section\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyText section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-text component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter m_first-letter--flagged\">J<\/span>essica Simmons, a strong swimmer who also jumped in to help, along with her husband, initially assumed there was a shark in the water before she realised people were drowning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people started gathering people on the beach to form a human chain,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"htmlEmbed section\">\n<div class=\"html-embed component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/post.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FJessiemae1691%2Fposts%2F1539400839423658&amp;width=500\" width=\"500\" height=\"612\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyText section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-text component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<p>\u201cTo see people from different races and genders come into action to help total strangers is absolutely amazing to see!!<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople who didn&#8217;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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter\">S<\/span>he added: \u201cI knew I could get them to the human chain of people that wanted to help. I went past the 50 plus people in the human chain and went straight to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ms Simmons said after 30 minutes in the water, the human chain managed to pull all the stranded swimmers to shore.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyImage section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-image component \" data-frz-ancestor=\"\" data-frz-ratio=\"1.60\">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image article-body-image-image \" data-width=\"319\" data-height=\"199\" data-alt=\"Barbara Franz\" data-frz-ratio=\"1.60\" data-src=\"\/content\/dam\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/Capture_1-small_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpJliwavx4coWFCaEkEsb3kvxIt-lGGWCWqwLa_RXJU8.PNG\" data-lazy-loaded=\"true\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"responsive-image__source\" src=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/content\/dam\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/Capture_1-large_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqpJliwavx4coWFCaEkEsb3kvxIt-lGGWCWqwLa_RXJU8.PNG\" alt=\"Barbara Franz\" \/><\/div>\n<h5><span class=\"article-body-image-caption\">Barbara Franz in hospital\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<span class=\"article-body-image-copyright\"><span class=\"article-body-image-copyright-label\">CREDIT:<\/span>\u00a0GOFUNDME<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"articleBodyText section\">\n<div class=\"article-body-text component \">\n<div class=\"component-content\">\n<p><span class=\"m_first-letter m_first-letter--flagged\">U<\/span>rsrey\u2019s 67-year-old grandmother, Barbara Franz, who suffered a heart attack in the water, is being treated in hospital and is now\u00a0in a stable condition.<\/p>\n<p>___<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/beachgoers-form-incredible-human-chain-save-drowning-family\/\">http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/2017\/07\/11\/beachgoers-form-incredible-human-chain-save-drowning-family\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beachgoers form incredible human chain to save drowning family<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-77571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=77571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77571\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=77571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=77571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateofthenation2012.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=77571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}