Roberta Ursrey's sons were swimming in the water at Panama Beach, Florida when they became trapped by a rip tide.
Roberta and other family members swam out to rescue them, but soon became trapped too. Nine family members total were trapped in the water, and nearly drowned.
“I honestly thought I was going to lose my family that day. It was like, ‘Oh God, this is how I’m going.’” she told USA Today.
But other beachgoers noticed their struggle and banded together in an incredible way. More than 80 strangers strung their bodies together to form a chain, from the shore out to the ocean. One by one, starting with the kids, each member of the Ursrey family was pulled safely back to shore.