Lance T. Jones

Lance T. Jones rescued Raylynn Nelsen and Owen Curtis, and attempted to rescue Joshua A. Curtis from drowning, Fernandina Beach, Florida, April 24, 2025. While playing in shallow water, Owen, 6, and his cousin Raylynn, 9, were pulled out by a rip current into water at least 7 feet deep in the Atlantic Ocean. Owen’s father, Curtis, 38, saw them being pulled out and immediately entered the water from the nearby beach. At some point after reaching them in deeper water, Curtis appeared to stop moving and continued to be pulled farther out with Owen on his back, while Raylynn attempted to keep swimming into shore. On the beach, a bystander alerted Jones, 45, sales consultant, to Raylynn struggling in the water about 300 feet from shore. Jones ran into the water and swam out to Raylynn, who jumped on him and submerged him underwater. After calming Raylynn, Jones was able to swim her back to shallow water, where another bystander helped her to shore. Jones turned around and went right back out to help Curtis and Owen, who were now approximately 600 feet from shore. Once Jones reached them, Owen jumped off Curtis, who was facedown in the water, and grabbed onto Jones’ neck, submerging him several times. Once Jones was able to calm Owen and turn Curtis over onto his back, he began to make his way toward shore by pushing Owen a few feet ahead and then pulling and swimming with Curtis until he reached Owen, who was treading water. Jones repeated this process until rescue swimmers met them at a point about 200 feet from shore. Jones assisted in bringing Owen to shore, while rescuers brought Curtis in and began lifesaving measures on the beach. Owen and Raylynn were taken by ambulance to a hospital, but they were uninjured and released the same day. Curtis was also taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead; he had drowned. Jones was exhausted and coughing up water but otherwise uninjured

2025-0000153-10534