Around the Bluhmin Town

By
Judy Bluhm

Hold on! That’s what one sixteen-year-old lifeguard did in Santa Cruz as he saved the life of a ten-year-old who was getting pulled under by massive waves. The video footage of Ryder Williams has gone viral, showing the heroics of a young teenager gripping a limp boy as he battled the crushing force of nature. It is truly a tremendously dramatic snapshot of how a life is saved.

Ryder kept his arms around the boy, in what he called “a gorilla grip.” Not an easy feat when you are in fierce waves. And Ryder held on. When we watch the video, we get a glimpse at the best of human qualities. We witness in a few minutes what hope, courage and stamina look like. It shows a picture in real time of never giving up and not letting go. It exemplifies the power of what one person can do. Yet, sometimes it takes more than one.

Eighty. This is the number of people who formed a human chain in Panama City, Florida, several years ago, to rescue a family. Nine. That is the number of family members caught in fifteen feet of water in a strong riptide, unable to swim back to shore. It started when two boys started yelling for help. Their mother realized what was happening and swam out. Then she was in trouble, so the grandmother and rest of the family swam to the rescue. All nine became trapped in a nightmare. And the mother said she thought, “This is how it all ends.”

A couple from Alabama heard the cries for help. They rounded up eighty strangers on the crowded beach to stand side by side, locking arms from shore to as far out as the last person could stand. Then with boogie boards, people ferried, one by one, the stranded family members to the first person on the human chain, and they were passed down to shore. Eighty people of various beliefs, backgrounds and ages came together spontaneously in the best, most humane way possible. And they saved an entire family.

It is a depressing news cycle we have had lately. Nothing much to celebrate. Tragic, disturbing, headlines flash before our eyes. Then, something extraordinary happens. It is in that shining moment that ordinary folks, coming together in a monumental way, restore our faith in humanity. One lifeguard, one group of strangers, lives saved. It’s the story we need to read. The video clip we cannot stop watching. A reminder of the goodness of people and how anything is possible.

My minister likes to say that each of us comprise the “human chain” of compassion and caring, played out in our daily lives. We may unknowingly pull someone from rough waters, through our small acts of kindness. Who are you rescuing today? A stranger you exchange pleasant words with, the neighbor you help with a chore, that friend you call, a child you hug, the parent you care for and the colleague you encourage forms the strong and unbreakable “chain” of compassion.

Dear Readers, let’s hold steady onto each other. It keeps our spirits afloat.

Judy Bluhm is a writer and a local realtor. Contact Judy at [email protected]. Or visit www.aroundthebluhmintown.com.