This Wedding Took A Turn When The Groom Jumped Into The Ocean
Weddings should be the happiest day of someone’s life. After all, you should be showing how much you love the person you want to be with for the rest of your life! However, sometimes, even the most celebrated days in the world can go wrong. Unfortunately, Zac Edwards and his beautiful wife discovered just how disastrous a wedding could become, first hand.
During his incredibly romantic beach wedding, Edwards heard a scream ring out. Never one to not help, the 37-year-old ripped off his wedding wardrobe and ran right into the ocean! No one in the wedding party could have predicted how that day would end…
Meet Zac Edwards
37-year-old Zac Edwards is used to strange and dangerous situations. His entire life growing up in Alabama, he loved outdoor activities and sports. Then, after graduating high school, Edwards joined the Marines, where he became a Science Technician. After his time in the Marines, the young man continued serving his country by becoming a member of the U.S. Coast Guard. Needless to say, over the years, experienced his fair share of sticky situations.
Still, nothing could prepare Edwards for what would happen on his wedding day. At first, everything seemed perfect as the wedding to his fiancee, Cindy, slowly approached…
2018 Brady Bunch
Zac and Cindy Edwards were a match made in heaven. Having met through a mutual friend, the couple quickly fell in love after just a few dates. It did not take very long at all before Zac to ask Cindy to marry him.
However, the Orange Beach marriage did not only bring together Zac and Cindy. No, both Zac and his 32-year-old bride brought children from previous marriages. In fact, they each brought three, making them a family of eight on their special day. As a result, Cindy often described their new family as a “2018 Brady Bunch” on social media. And it was amid all these wonderful faces that tragedy struck.
The Perfect Location
Having both grown up in Alabama, Zac and Cindy had no doubts that they wanted to marry in the Yellowhammer state. Ultimately, they decided to memorialize their love in front of all their friends and family along the shores of the beautiful Orange Beach, along the Gulf of Mexico.
One of the most beautiful locations in all of Alabama, Orange Beach is not only home to gorgeous beaches but also fantastic surf, thanks to the wild currents that rip through the water. Not only did the location reflect Zac and Cindy’s love of the state, but it also expressed the groom’s deep appreciation of the ocean. Of course, a perfect place did not mean a perfect day…
The Big Day Finally Arrives
When the engaged couple started planning their big day, it started off as a small affair on the beach. However, before too long, as many wedding planners have experienced, the guest list soon grew and grew. Thankfully, in time, it all came together, and the big day finally arrived on August 2nd, 2018.
“It all came together last minute, which was awesome,” Zac later recalled to People Magazine. While the day started partly cloudy and overcast, the sun eventually broke through, right before the couple began their walks down the aisle. The time that Zac and Cindy had waited for had finally come!
A Red Flag – Literally
Zac and Cindy Edwards’ wedding ceremony on Orage Beach went quite well. The two lovers said, “I do,” and everyone cheered as they walked down the aisle, not a dry eye present. Afterward, the entire family decided to stay on the shore and take wedding photos amid the gorgeous scenery before the reception.
While taking the photos, the photographer needed to move the Edwards family. A literal red flag waved in the background of the pictures, and the photographer wanted a clean shot. While the Orange Beach waters looked beautiful and serene, the water was actually quite dangerous underneath…
A Serious Warning
The red flag on the shore was meant to discourage beachgoers from entering the water. For those that do not know, a red flag means that currents are particularly strong in that part of the ocean. Often, while the waves might look manageable, the currents can devastate an unsuspecting swimmer.
Of course, as a U.S. Coast Guard member, Zac Edwards is very familiar with rip currents and the dangers they present. “I think people underestimate the ocean. People don’t read the signs and swimmers need to be very cautious. Even experienced swimmers can get into difficulty,” he told Metro. Unfortunately, not all the swimmers on the beach on the Edwards’ wedding day heeded the red flag’s warning…
“Help!”
As the Edwards got ready to pose for yet another picture, everyone on the beach heard a scream ring out. As the photographer has been snapping wonderful wedding photos, it seemed that someone on the beach had noticed something in the water.
As the wedding party all turned to look, they saw that the person screaming was a young woman on the beach. At this point, she had stopped screaming and started yelling for help, with her hand outstretched and pointing towards the ocean. Everyone at the wedding followed the woman’s pointing hand and noticed the same thing she did: someone in the water was drowning!
Earlier That Day
Earlier in the day, 18-year-old Jamel Robinson had headed down to Orange Beach with his friends for a day of fun in the sun. At the time, he had no idea that he would soon be fighting for his life. When Robinson arrived at the beach, he saw the red flag, but believed his boogie board would be enough to protect him from strong currents.
Quickly, Robinson realized the error of his ways. However, by that point, it was too late. Soon enough, the rip currents dragged Robinson out to sea and tore his boogie board away from him. By the time Zac Edwards saw him, the young man was already struggling to stay afloat.
No One To Help
To make matters even worse, when the wedding party looked around, they realized that there were no lifeguards to be found. Later, everyone would find out that they had been called away on a rescue further up the coast. Fortunately enough for young Robinson, years of Zac’s military and Coast Guard training immediately kicked in.
“We all turned and looked, and you could see he was pretty far out, you could see the look on his face, he was worried,” Zac later told People Magazine. From the look on his face, Cindy Edwards could already tell what her husband was planning.
Go Get Him!
Even if Cindy had wanted to stop Zac, she knew she couldn’t have. “She said, ‘Go get him,’” Zac later recalled. So, just like that, in front of his entire wedding party, the Coast Guard member started stripping out of his wedding outfit on the beach. “I took off my shirt, but my wife said I didn’t have time to take off my pants,” Zac told Metro.
Ripping off his shoes, Zac jumped back up and ran into the water. There, he found that the currents were even worse than he initially expected. Rescuing the drowning young man would be quite the challenge! Just then, two of Robinson’s friends started approaching Zac…
Get Back To Shore
As Zac Edwards prepared to save 18-year-old Jamel Robinson, two of the young men’s friends approached the groom, wanting to help. However, Zac knew they would likely end up in just as much danger as their friend. Then he would need to save three teenagers! So, without a second’s hesitation, Zac sent them back to shore. But not before taking one of their boogie boards to use as a rescue board.
“I’m so glad I did that,” Zac later said of sending the boys back to the shore. Now, with a boogie board in hand and Robinson in his line of sight, Zac swam out into the ocean.
Reaching Robinson
When Zac finally reached Robinson, he found the young man floundering about in the ocean, unable to help himself. “He was saying, ‘I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!’,” Zac told People Magazine. So, the soaking groom helped the young man onto the boogie board, where he started to catch his breath. Often drowning victims make things much worse for themselves by panicking, as Robinson did.
After a few moments, Robinson began to calm down enough to the point here Zac felt comfortable enough to bring him in. The Coast Guard member told the teen to hang on, grabbed the boogie board line, and started swimming. However, as he swam, Zac started to notice something quite frightening…
A Strong Current
As Zac swam, pulling Robinson along on the boogie board, he began to notice just how strong the current was. In fact, the red flag current actually started to worry the Coast Guard member, since swimming had become much more difficult, thanks to the boogie board. “[It] was really strong, and it was stopping us coming any further. I was starting to panic slightly,” Zac told Metro.
Of course, it wasn’t only the boogie board that was making it challenging for Zac to swim. “The pants were making it hard to kick, too,” he said. After a few more moments, it started to feel like he had nothing left in him to give…
A Hopeful Thought
As Zac continued to swim harder and harder, it seemed like the beach wasn’t getting any closer. “It took everything I had to hold on to him,” he later said. Not one to give up, Zac kept his head down and kept swimming, sure that help would arrive soon. “The lifeguards are out there somewhere,” he remembers telling himself at the time. “They’ll eventually come, so I’m going to keep his head above water and just wait it out.”
Meanwhile, on the beach, Cindy noticed that her husband was slowing down. “That’s when I started to panic. I was thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s not going to make it back in,” she said. Thankfully, others on the beach were taking action.
On The Beach
Thankfully, those on the beach did not merely watch as Zac Edwards jumped into the ocean to save Jamel Robinson. Instead, they rushed to help in their own way: by contacting the authorities! Many wedding attendees and party members whipped out their cell phones and dialed 911. Within moments, units were on their way!
Soon enough, both Orange Beach Fire Department and Orange Beach Surf Rescue reached the portion of the beach where the wedding had taken place. And they brought with them an essential piece of equipment: a jet ski.
A Welcome Sight
In seconds, the lifeguards took the jet ski off their truck and got it into the water. When Zac looked up and saw the jet ski and lifeguards coming towards him, it was like a sight from heaven. “When I saw the first responders, I knew it was going to be okay,” he told Metro. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the jet ski arrived, and Zac “managed to wedge [Robinson] up onto the ski,” so the lifeguards could bring him back to shore quickly.
Now, without needing to also pull in Robinson, Zac made it back to shore quickly. However, unfortunately, things were not over yet…
Back Onshore
On the shores of Orange Beach, two scenes were breaking out. On one portion of the beach, the first responders had pulled 18-year-old Jamel Robinson out of the water and started tending to his injuries. Thankfully, he was ultimately fine, having only ingested a small amount of water.
Zac Edwards, on the other hand, suffered some rather severe injuries. “I got a nosebleed from bouncing on the sled, but I went right back into wedding mode,” Edwards told People Magazine. “My wife was running out into the water as I was getting out. I told her to get away because I didn’t want to get blood on the dress!”
An Invitation to Another Ceremony
Immediately, Robinson’s family and friends rushed to make sure that he was okay. Afterward, they tried to express how grateful they felt towards Zac, but he simply replied: “I was just happy I was able to help.” As is typical for a service member, Zac accepted the compliments with grace and honor, never thinking too much of himself.
Of course, this did not stop the Robinson family from thanking Zac in any way they could think of. In fact, Jamel’s mother incited Zac to attend Jamel’s graduation party as an honored guest! While the event has not occurred yet, we cannot wait to see the photos from that party! Believe it or not, after the incident, the Edwards wedding party rolled right along!
The Hero Groom
As you might imagine, after Zac saved young Jamel Robinson, he became an even bigger hero at his own wedding! “It was incredible,” said Pastor Flenn Henson, who officiated the wedding. “The fact that this man took time out of his special day to save someone else was really special.” We could not agree more!
“I talked to Cindy and Zac afterwards, and we definitely think it was fate that he was there,” continued Pastor Henson. “It was providential.” Meanwhile, no one felt more proud of Zac then his new wife, Cindy. “He’s just an amazing guy,” she said. “His heart is full of so much love.”
Pure Chance
Pastor Flenn Henson is quite right that it was amazingly fateful that Zac and Cindy ended up on the beach that day. As previously stated, the weather for their wedding day was initially forecasted as quite overcast. In fact, just a few weeks prior, Henson has suggested moving the wedding to the previous day! Had that occurred, Jamel Robinson likely would not have been saved.
After Zac saved Jamel’s life, the young teen could barely express how thankful he felt. “I really appreciate that,” Jamel said. Meanwhile, Jamel’s mother said of the Coast Guard serviceman, “I just want to thank Mr. Zac for taking the initiative and going out there. I really appreciate him.”
After the Party Dies Down
Sometimes, the reality of events do not hit us until much later. Such is the case with Zac Edwards. After saving a teenager’s life, he simply got some new clothes and went back to his wedding party. “I didn’t really take in the gravity of the situation until I laid down that night,” Zac admitted to Metro.
“Afterwards, my hands were shaking, but the adrenaline was just pumping. It wasn’t until I saw my wife sleeping that I realized what had happened,” Zac explained. “And I broke down. The most important thing is I made it back to my family.”
Going Viral
Stories like that of Zac Edwards and Jamel Robinson do not stay local for long. In just a few weeks, photos of the wedding and incredible day had emerged online. Then, within a week, Zac and Jamel watched, amazed, as their story appeared on Good Morning America. They were viral!
Over the next few months, Zac fielded plenty of questions and interviews about the day. However, through it all, one thing remained perfectly clear: Zac does not view himself as a hero. Instead, he simply thinks of himself as someone with a sense of duty, who was in the right place, at the right time. Even today, Zac does not wish a single moment had gone differently…
An Unforgettable Wedding
Now, a few years later, everyone that attended agrees: Zac and Cindy’s wedding is one for the record books. Looking back, both the bride and groom believe their special day could not have gone any better. “Our guests were completely lost when we arrived at the reception. I was soaking wet, and my dress was covered in sand,” Cindy told People Magazine.
Zac made note that he “didn’t bring extra clothes to the wedding but” he “did have come board shorts” that he was able to put on. Meanwhile, he loves that everyone now has a fantastic story to tell. “The grandkids are going to have a story to tell. It was a perfect day,” Zac said.
A Story For The Ages
When recently asked if Zac blames Jamel, he said no. “I think people underestimate the ocean,” Zac Edwards said. “It wasn’t his fault at all, but it was a red flag day.” Indeed, “even experienced swimmers can get into difficulty.”
“In our community, 120 people have had to be pulled out of the water in the last few days,” Cindy Edwards added to her husband’s point. “Our beaches are family-friendly and have multiple first responders to keep people safe. They do such a wonderful job, but it’s up to us to be water safe, too.” Well said, Cindy!