“You don’t realize how bad that could’ve been,” one officer told the pair
NEED TO KNOW
- Two snorkelers were rescued by deputies after being swept away by a strong current in Destin, Fla.
- The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office shared video of the dramatic rescue, showing the snorkelers struggling in the water
- The area has a history of dangerous currents, including a 2025 incident in which a 10-year-old girl disappeared while swimming
Two snorkelers were safely rescued after they were swept away by a powerful inlet current off Florida’s Gulf Coast.
On Saturday, July 4, two unidentified snorkelers were pulled out by a current at Destin’s East Pass, according to a statement shared to social media by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said they were “running out of options” when members of the sheriff’s office Marine Unit happened to be on patrol nearby.
Sgt. Pierre Batiste thankfully spotted the pair waving their arms for help. He and Lt. Brian Parkton quickly maneuvered their patrol boat toward the stranded snorkelers.
The sheriff’s office shared video of the rescue, showing the officers reaching the pair as they struggled in the water.
“Hey, right here,” one officer could be heard yelling to the pair in the footage. “Grab this,” he continued, before pulling the woman aboard.
Shortly after, the other snorkeler was pulled aboard, too.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” the officer asked the man. Neither snorkeler suffered any injuries, deputies said.
Both snorkelers showed their gratitude by repeatedly thanking the officers.
The two were told to “lay back and relax” as the boat made its way to shallow waters.
“You don’t realize how bad that could’ve been,” one officer told the two before the video ended.
The area has been proven to be dangerous; a 10-year-old girl went missing last June while swimming in the same waters.
Trinity Eslinger was vacationing with her family in Destin when she was reported missing on the evening of June 12, 2025, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.
In a nearly hour-long YouTube livestream, Victor Cobbs shared the heartbreaking final moments before Trinity disappeared in the water.
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Cobbs, the longtime boyfriend of Trinity’s mother, Raven Cush, said the family was getting ready to leave the beach when he, Trinity and another family member were caught in a powerful current.
Despite his efforts — and the attempts of others nearby — to save her, Cobbs said Trinity ultimately “slipped away.”
Trinity was last seen in the water around 7:30 p.m. local time between Osteen Beach and Norriego Point, deputies said.
“The Sheriff’s Office deployed two vessels and 10 divers, who conducted a total of 24 dives in an effort to locate Trinity,” authorities said in a June 10, 2025, statement. “A drone unit was utilized, Beach Patrol units searched the shorelines, and Community Resource Deputies were deployed to help fill operational gaps in the search.”
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