MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. – Beachgoers were enjoying the sun, relaxing, playing football, talking and watching the waves in Panama City Beach, Florida, March 2024. A lone man catching waves on a jet ski pushed a little too far and flew off after a hard jump. With a large crowd watching and no sight of the man after a couple of minutes, it was clear that something was not right.
Two men split from the crowd and sprinted down the beach, jumped into the chilly, 65-degree water to attempt a rescue.
Airman 1st Class Trace Drugolenski, 347th Operations Support Squadron commander’s enlisted executive, and Airman 1st Class Orlando Martinez, 23rd Operations Support Squadron targeting analyst, swam 100 yards through two-foot swells and choppy ocean waves to conduct an impromptu search-and-rescue operation and ultimately saved a life.
![Moody Heroes: Airmen’s quick action saves a life at the beach]()
