A Manatee County couple is looking for the two men who rescued them after getting caught in a rip current Monday afternoon.

  • Manatee couple looking for men who rescued them
  • Couple got caught in rip current off Egmont Key
  • Rescuers names are Mark and Daniel

Paula and Tom Ney were boating off Egmont Key when Paula got out of the boat to look for shells.

Paula said as she got out of the boat and into the water, she got caught in a rip current. 

"I just knew that I was drifting away quickly, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t get any traction," Paula explained.

Tom jumped in the water to save her but got caught in the current himself.

"I started swimming with my arms and kicking, I don’t know how long it was, it’s hard to tell in those situations. I stopped and looked up and we hadn’t moved," Tom said.

Paula and Tom said they didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation, but luckily a boat nearby came to the rescue.

"We didn’t understand the seriousness and again because the men on the boat, Daniel and Mark, were so calm, there was nothing to indicate the danger we were really in," Tom explained. "I was up that night thinking about every second of what happened, and when I woke up the first thing I did was hug her because we finally realized we were in danger."

Tom and Paula would like to find Mark and Daniel, the two men that saved them.

Tom said he would like to offer the two a proper thank you and a home cooked meal.