PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — St. Johns County Fire Rescue reports two people were taken to the hospital in serious condition near Mickler's Landing Saturday.
The two got help by one beachgoer who was in the right place at the right time.
“We had only gone out there to look for some sharks teeth at Mickler’s," said Brendan Townsend, who works in healthcare.
Townsend's search for shark teeth was interrupted when he heard a teenager screaming for help.
“We looked back and saw this giant rip current. It was big, going fast, and within in seconds we had three people in the water getting tugged down," said Townsend.
Townsend says the teenager got out okay, but a younger child and a man were in respiratory arrest.
“There was no pulse, nothing," said Townsend.
His CPR training kicked in.
“I thought I’d be a little bit more panicky, but it came very natural, it was instant," said Townsend. "I just needed to save these people.”
St. Johns County Fire Rescue took both to the hospital in critical condition.
Townsend says he wasn’t the only one who sprung into action.
“The lifeguard he was running like nobody I’d ever seen," said Townsend. "Luckily, we had a lot of heroes that day.”
Townsend says he's been in contact with a family friend who is updating him on the two's conditions.