James Mack says he did not hesitate when he heard people screaming for help Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had no concern for myself in the moment,” said Mack. “You hear someone scream like that, it chills you to your bones,\u201d Mack said.<\/p>\n
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Mack says he has spent his entire life swimming at Huguenot Memorial Park and knows the water well. But he says nothing prepared him for what happened that day.<\/p>\n
He says he was able to rescue 29-year-old Donte Wanton\u2019s best friend, Nick, and Nick\u2019s girlfriend, but Donte was pulled away by the current and never resurfaced.<\/p>\n
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office, three adults were struggling in the water Saturday afternoon near the park when they were caught in an undertow.<\/p>\n
Mack says his background helped him respond quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was in the Young Marines as a kid, and we were CPR-certified since I was 12 years old,\u201d Mack said.<\/p>\n
When he reached Nick, he was in serious condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cNick, he was in pretty bad shape. He couldn\u2019t breathe. He couldn\u2019t move.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mack says he brought Nick back to shore and immediately started performing CPR before returning to the water to search for Donte.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s when I saw Donte. He was laying face down in the water, and I got 20 yards from him, about 60 feet. He sank and when he sank, I went down. I tried to stay down in the water as long as I could with him,\u201d Mack said.<\/p>\n
Mack says he tried everything he could to reach Donte, but was unable to find him.<\/p>\n
He says the rescue also took a physical toll on him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did have to go to the hospital the next day cause I swallowed so much water and just something happened to my chest. They had to give me some steroids.\u201d<\/p>\n
He says he wants Donte\u2019s loved ones to know how sorry he is that he could not save him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t believe how sorry I am for their loss. There are no words that can describe how sorry I am that I couldn\u2019t save him,\u201d said Mack.<\/p>\n
The Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office says its Marine Unit is continuing to patrol for signs of 29-year-old Donte Wanton.<\/p>\n