This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
  • Coast Guard Petty Officer Zac Edwards and his bride
  • The couple embraces after their wedding. Photo credit: Pastor Glen Henson
  • The bride before the wedding
  • The couple's first kiss
  • Finding treasure on their wedding day
  • Edwards is near the water in this photo taken during the rescue--notice the bride's bouquet on the sand
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. –  First he said “I do” —  then he dove in. Coast Guard Petty Officer Zac Edwards and his bride had just gotten married in a romantic ceremony on the beach.  She wore a lace gown with a flared skirt that gave her the figure of a mermaid.  Her bridesmaid wore an aqua dress like the color of the sea. There was even a box, covered in netting, that looked like a pirate’s treasure chest on the sand. But after the kiss, Edwards was called into action for a real-life rescue. According to the U.S. 8th District Coast Guard, after the wedding at Orange Beach last week (Aug. 2), a woman approached Edwards and told him that a swimmer was struggling to make it to shore. Edwards grabbed a flotation device and raced in to the water. Edwards says the swimmer kept saying “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe,” as Edwards tried to keep the man’s head above water.  But the current was too strong.  A lifeguard on a watercraft wound up helping both Edwards and the unidentified swimmer to shore. An EMS crew took it from there and the swimmer is believed to be okay.  Edwards says he’s thankful for the first-responders. “I jumped in one day– they jump in every day,” he said.