Wedding day turns into rescue mission at Orange Beach

An act of heroism saved one person’s life after a wedding photo session in Orange Beach was interrupted.

Per a WBRC report, Zac Edwards, a former lifeguard and coast guardsman, sprung into action mid-photo session to save a man from drowning in the ocean.

“A lady had come up to us and said that guy is out there struggling. He can’t get back, he’s having a hard time,” Cindy Edwards, Zac’s new bride, told WBRC.

Cindy told her husband to forget about the pictures and go help because of his prior experience as a lifeguard.

“She said don’t worry about your pants, just go. See you’ve got to listen to your wife because otherwise, you’re in trouble,” Zac recalled.

“And he goes to start taking his shirt off and he went off to take off his bottoms and I was like ‘you don’t have time’ the guy kept drifting further and further out and he was struggling,” said Cindy.

Zac and the young man he rescued were reportedly stuck for a moment as they struggled with the high surf that warranted a red flag warning to beachgoers. First responders eventually arrived at the scene and brought both Edwards and the young man to safety.

“It’s scary. You don’t wanna lose a loved one, unfortunately, living here, we hear about it way too often. Just be mindful of those flags and knowing to be cautious,” Cindy said.

During the horrifying rescue, Zac said all he could do was think about his new bride.

“It beat us up pretty hard getting in and we pulled up on the beach everybody grabs him. I got up and she’s running out in her wedding dress. I’m bleeding from the nose and trying to tell her get away because I know how important that dress was and I didn’t want to ruin that,” he told WBRC.

Both Zac and Cindy Edwards credit one another as their own personal heroes.

The newlyweds have both spoken to the family of the young man who hails from Mississippi, and report he is doing well, but is sore after almost drowning.

@RealKyleMorris is a Yellowhammer News contributor and also contributes weekly to The Daily Caller