We never really know what we’ll be capable of until we’re in a desperate situation that seems to call for the impossible.
After all, the kind of adrenaline our bodies produce when we’re in perilous situations is hard to predict but can nonetheless prove extremely powerful. As the BBC reported , it’s given ordinary people the sudden superhuman strength they needed to lift cars off of loved ones or fight off polar bears on their own.
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And when one mom faced a nightmarish situation at a Lake Michigan pier, it helped her avert the most terrible of tragedies.
On May 25, 27-year-old Alyssa DeWitt almost decided against going to the beach by the Lake Michigan pier.
As she wrote in a Facebook post, it was extremely windy that day so she sat in her van with her three children for about five minutes contemplating whether to go.
However, something compelled her to go and that same force apparently compelled her to take her kids to the beach closest to the pier itself. She never had that inclination before that day.
But after one perilous afternoon, she now feels that God had put her where she needed to be.
And that’s because while she was there, she caught sight of a group of four girls aged between nine and 15 desperately waving at her from the water.
As she told Good Morning America, she could see them struggling to keep their heads above water while large waves slammed them against some nearby rocks.
Although she called 911, she wasn’t able to hear the dispatcher over the wind and waves, and she wasn’t sure whether she could be heard either.
In her words, “They were literally drowning in front of my eyes and there was not one person on that side of the beach I could scream to for help. It was empty.”
Faced with this situation, DeWitt — who was five months pregnant at the time — laid down on her stomach and tried to reach the girls from the pier.
According to Good Morning America, their slippery hands and the force of the waves made any progress in bringing them in difficult and there were multiple times when they’d have to start over because a wave knocked the girls aside.
Although DeWitt felt herself slip towards the water several times, she remained determined.
As she wrote on Facebook, “One of those girls looked at me with so much fear in her eyes and told me she was going to die.. I promised her I would not let that happen. I promised her with everything I had in me.”
Sure enough, she was eventually able to pull three girls over the pier while helping the fourth walk back ashore.
By the time she shared a tearful hug with the girls she rescued, police and fire officials had arrived.
And as orthopedic surgeon and former lifeguard Peter G. Wernicki told Good Morning America, DeWitt had done everything right during this rescue.
He recommends that untrained rescuers don’t enter the water above their heads and risk drowning as well, but rather to reach from the land with a rope or towel if possible. If a drowning person is too far out, he recommends throwing something that will float (including even an empty cooler) to them instead.
He also advised not swimming within 100 feet or piers or jetties due to the risk of rip currents and to try and swim parallel to the shore when you’re caught in one.
Finally, DeWitt ended her harrowing tale with a final warning for parents to emphasize water safety with their kids.
As she said, “I know those big waves are fun and you never expect to find yourself in that situation but it can happen so fast. It’s not worth the risk, it’s just not.”
h/t: Good Morning America , Facebook | Alyssa DeWitt
