Fernandina Beach man, fallen father honored for heroic ocean rescue

On a spring afternoon when rip currents turned a family beach outing on Amelia Island into a life-and-death emergency, two men made split-second decisions that saved two children — and cost one rescuer his life.

Nearly eight months later, those actions are being recognized at the national level.

Joshua A. Curtis, who drowned during the rescue, and Fernandina Beach resident Lance Tyler Jones have been named recipients of the Carnegie Medal for Heroism, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors. The announcement was made Friday by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission.

The award recognizes civilians who knowingly risk serious injury or death to save others. Fewer than 10,000 medals have been awarded since the program was created in 1904, placing Curtis and Jones among a small group of Americans honored for extraordinary acts of bravery. In addition to the medal, recipients or their families are eligible for financial grants and education benefits.

The rescue occurred April 24 on a Fernandina Beach shoreline where rip currents are a frequent but often underestimated danger. Curtis, 38, of Halifax, Massachusetts, was visiting family and spending the day at the beach with his 6-year-old son, Owen, and his 9-year-old niece, Raylynn. While the children played in shallow water, they were suddenly pulled offshore by a rip current into water estimated to be at least seven feet deep.

Curtis immediately entered the water to reach them.

According to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, Curtis managed to get to the children and helped keep them afloat, attempting to push them back toward shore. As the current continued to pull them farther out, Curtis became exhausted. He eventually stopped swimming and drifted farther offshore with Owen still clinging to his back.

Jones, 45, who was on the beach in Fernandina Beach, saw Raylynn struggling roughly 300 feet from shore and swam out to her. After bringing her to shallow water, where another bystander took over, Jones re-entered the ocean and swam an estimated 600 feet back out toward Curtis and Owen.

Curtis was floating face down when Jones reached him. Jones turned Curtis onto his back and attempted to push both Curtis and Owen toward shore, battling the current until rescue swimmers arrived about 200 feet offshore. Despite life-saving efforts, Curtis could not be revived. Owen was rescued without injury.

Jones was treated at the scene for exhaustion and water inhalation.

Curtis’ heroism that day echoed a lifetime of service. An Army veteran, he served multiple deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he was wounded by an improvised explosive device. His military decorations included the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.

The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, established by industrialist Andrew Carnegie, honors civilians across the United States and Canada who act decisively in the face of grave danger to save others. While the medal itself is symbolic, the commission emphasizes that the true measure of heroism lies in the willingness to act when the outcome is uncertain.