Photo By Sgt. Nicholas Lubchenko | Ali Joy (left), her husband of 12 years, Charles “Austin” Joy Jr. (right), their...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. – “I got out there to the girls and I couldn’t touch; the waves were breaking over us,” said Ali Joy, who recently lost her husband of 12 years, Charles “Austin” Joy Jr., while rescuing their 7-year-old twin girls, during a family day at Atlantic Beach N.C., June 15. “My girls were panicking and I was having trouble staying afloat. She was screaming that we were going to die.”
Ali and Austin were on the beach with their three children, a 9-year-old boy and twin daughters on Father’s Day weekend. While setting up Austin noticed that their daughters were too far out and being pulled further out to sea.
According to Ali, when you see your children in trouble you don’t have time to think, you just act.
“He (Austin) saw the girls too far out, and we just ran,” said Ali. “When you get to them you are instantly relieved because you made it but you can’t touch and the waves are crashing over you. The kids were panicking so I was being dunked under.”
Ali saw people on the shoreline and started screaming for help. Although there wasn’t a lifeguard right there, a pair of Marines rushed in to help.
“There were two Marines that helped us, but I could only see one,” said Ali. “He yelled at us to float on our back, and I credit him for saving our lives. The human instinct is to fight, to struggle, but you need to float.”
According to Ali, a simple three-step process could save you or your loved ones’ lives.
“One, bring a floatation device to the beach. Two, grab a floatation device before you go out to save someone. Three, if you find yourself in a rip current; float, don’t fight,” said Ali. “It is a one-two-three thing like stop, drop and roll; something you don’t have to think about.”
According to the National Weather Service, great weather for the beach does not always mean it’s safe to swim or even play in the shallows. Rip-currents often form on calm, sunny days.
“The beach was teaming with people, there was no sign of danger,” said Ali. “Every beach is different and you might not recognize the danger.”
Ali is sharing her family’s story to help prevent this from happening to anyone else.
“If this story saves one life it is worth sharing, just one life,” said Ali.
| Date Taken: | 06.15.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 08.20.2018 13:50 |
| Story ID: | 289438 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 489 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Rip current survivor turns tragedy into teachable moment, by Sgt Nicholas Lubchenko, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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