Vet who drowned saving son, local resident nominated for Hero Award

A U.S. Army veteran who drowned saving his son from rip currents last month in Fernandina Beach along with a resident involved in the rescue are being considered for the prestigious Carnegie Medal, which honors incredible acts of heroism.

Joshua Curtis, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient, died April 24 while vacationing in Fernandina Beach with his family. The 38-year-old rushed into the water when his 6-year-old son, Owen, and niece got stuck in a rip current, drowning as he rescued them.

Fernandina Beach resident Lance Jones rushed into the waters to help save the children and Curtis.

Claire Skirtich, an investigative specialist at the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contacted the city of Fernandina Beach last week for more details about the incident said the commission is considering honoring Curtis and Jones.

"We are a 121-year-old nonprofit foundation that recognizes individuals in the United States and Canada who risk death or serious physical injury to an extraordinary degree saving or attempting to save the lives of others. Joshua Curtis has been nominated for posthumous recognition for reportedly rescuing his 6-year-old son, Owen, and his niece from drowning in the waters off of Main Beach in Fernandina Beach," Skirtich wrote the city. "A man named Lance Jones reportedly helped rescue the children as well. We are looking to get some more information on the incident to see if their actions might meet the criteria for our award, the Carnegie Medal. In order to help us establish the facts of this case, we would like to submit a request for a copy of the available reports on the incident."

Jones told Boston.com that Curtis was working to keep the children up even as he went under. 

“I think he did everything he could to just keep those two kids afloat,” Jones told the news outlet. “The hardest thing was Owen and just the sheer look of panic on his face. He just kept saying, ‘I can’t swim, I can’t swim, my dad said he’s drowning.’ I said, ‘Hey buddy, I got you, we gotta swim in.'"

Lance Jones and family

Jones wrote on his Facebook page shortly after the incident:  "What we thought was going to be a relaxing sunset walk on the beach Thursday evening turned into the tragic loss of Joshua Curtis. While our lives will forever be shaped by the events that night, it will nevercompare to what Owen, his mom, and family will have to navigate without Josh.

The family is from Halifax, Massachusetts and was in Florida visiting his hometown and his relatives. 

Curtis served in the Army for 15 years and also coached youth football for the Silver Lake Warriors in Kingston, Plympton, and Halifax. 

According to the Fernandina Beach Police Department report on the incident which misidentified Jones as Lane James said, "Investigation and interviews with witnesses revealed that the three juveniles were playing in the water when two of the juveniles became in distress. It is unclear from statements on if the Joshua was already in the water or entered upon observing the juveniles in distress. When Joshua attempted to rescue the two distressed juveniles he also became distressed and then unresponsive in the water. Bystander (Lane James) entered the water to retrieve the first juvenile, brought her back to shore and re-entered the water and made contact with the distressed juvenile and Joshua who he observed unresponsive. At this point rescue personnel arrived on scene and retrieved the juvenile and Joshua who was still unresponsive."

The Carnegie Hero Medal is a bronze medallion bearing Andrew Carnegie’s likeness and the inscription “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The honor may include a monetary award. In some cases, the Fund provides scholarships, ongoing financial support, or death benefits to the families of posthumous recipients.

Awardees are publicly honored and their stories are documented in the Carnegie Hero Fund’s permanent archives. Over 10,000 medals have been awarded since the program’s inception.