OKINAWA, Japan –
The beaches of Okinawa are a peaceful escape for both locals and service members stationed on the island. The high temperatures, clear skies and gentle breezes create the perfect conditions to enjoy a day off work swimming in the clear, turquoise waters surrounding the island.
A group of U.S. Marines, with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 262 (Rein.), 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, took advantage of these conditions and decided to spend a Saturday afternoon snorkeling around Cape Zanpa, a more advanced dive spot characterized by steep cliffs, crevices and rocky shorelines formed from the constant crashing of waves.
As the sea condition worsened and the sun began to set, the Marines decided to pack up for the day and depart the area. After spending hours in the water, they made their way up a cliff to change and noticed a man and woman walk past them, making their way into the water.
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Beachy, a New Braunfels, Texas native and a flight line mechanic, was near the edge looking out over the water and noticed the couple swimming below. Thinking nothing of it, he turned around and rejoined his group.
Suddenly, the Marines heard yelling.
“It didn’t sound right,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Robert Escamilla, a Houston, Texas native and a UH-1Y Venom helicopter crew chief. “Something sounded weird. You can usually tell when something is a little off in a situation, and that kind of triggered something in our heads into doing a little more investigation before we left.”
They made their way to the edge off the cliff where they had a clear view of the water below and noticed that the man was standing alone, absent of the woman who accompanied him. The man kept screaming.
Without hesitating, the Marines jumped into action.
“We didn’t even come up with a common agreement to help,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Scott Detar, a Columbia, Mo. native and a UH-1Y Venom helicopter crew chief. “We were automatically engaged.”
Four of the Marines headed down to the edge of the water to help look for the woman. When they could not find her from the shoreline, three of the Marines decided to jump into the water to expand their search.
“We were scanning the rock and cliff side from the water while the other guys were giving us overlook and directions from the top of the cliff,” said U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joshua Stevens, a Nazareth, Pa. native and a UH-1Y Venom helicopter crew chief. “We were all super tired and drained at this point because we had been swimming for about four hours already. But the adrenaline kicked in and it was a matter of it being a real serious situation. I didn’t know if I would be recovering a body or looking for someone who was banged up and we wouldn’t be able to carry her back. There was a lot going through my mind but all I knew was that I was in the position to help and I wanted to help in any way I could.”
After swimming north approximately 100 meters from the shore, Beachy found the woman. She had been carried away by the current and was getting thrown into the base of a rocky promontory by powerful waves. They swam to her and immediately started tending to the injured woman in the shallow water.
“We did a medical assessment over her,” said Stevens. “Her knee was hurting and she had light bruises and scratches but the biggest thing was that she was in shock and couldn't stand up on her own.”
Stevens and Beachy took the woman under their arms and proceeded to carry her back to safety. Cpl. Theron Dubay, a Richmond, Mich. native and a helicopter airframe mechanic, gathered the other’s gear, including the woman’s, and swam ahead of them to provide guidance on the best path to carry the woman back to safety.
“We walked with her alongside the rock face,” said Stevens. “We probably traveled about half a kilometer, getting hit by the waves, going from a depth of three feet to over six feet. We would fall but we would push her up so she was above the water and we would continue. Dubay would tell us to brace whenever a wave was coming so we wouldn’t get slammed against the rocks.”
From atop the hill, the other Marines were able to see that the woman was safe and on her way back toward them. At once, they started the descent down the path towards the water.
“I was very relieved,” said Cpl. William Ore, a Carson City, Nev. native and a flight line mechanic. “The first thing I did when I saw they were bringing her back was to go down and warn the man that … the others were bringing her back.”
The Marines continued to take care of the woman who remained in shock. They gave her water and continued to reassess her condition while they waited for local emergency medical services.
The Marines transferred care of the woman to local emergency services upon their arrival but stayed at the location to recount what had occurred while the woman recovered from the intense situation.
This incident highlights not only the unpredictable power of nature but also the importance of building positive relationships with the local community as representatives of the United States. In places like Okinawa, where residents and service members share the island, fostering trust and readiness can make a significant difference in times of need.
“Us representing ourselves as Americans and Marines is the most important thing that we have,” said Stevens. I didn’t join the military to have a good time, I joined to protect and serve; to serve my country and the partners that America has and that includes the people of those countries as well. Us respecting, understanding and taking care of the people around us, whether it’s our country or not, is the standard that Marines should instill and carry.”
Each Marine was recognized appropriately on November 06, 2024, for the crucial role they played that day. The decisive actions carried out by the seven Marines not only saved a life, but demonstrated the Marines’ commitment to the local community, even when off-duty.