I had an horribe experience , nearly fatal,when i was 15 years. and was almost the same.
I was with all my family in the beach, hanging out. But that day, the waves were very high. My papa and i went far away swimming, and after one minute, i told to him tog o back to the shore, because i was getting weak. When we started to swim back, the tides swallowed both, more far from the beach. I told to my papa that i was very weak and i wasnt able to continue swiming. He graped my hand and we both tried to swim, but he fainted too, and in that moment the worse began!.
He screamed desesperately "help help", and all the people that was in the beach were looking at us (oh my what a shame). I was so scared because my papa was very weak and was starting to dissapear in the water, meanwhile i was at least floating.
The boyfrined of my cousin(girl cousin) was looking at us, and right away he entered into the beach to save us. He grapped my dad first because he was near to the beach than me. The guy pulled my dad very strong, and he started to swim. Then he swim more to rech myself.
When we were both grapping each other, i remember that he told to me "dont grap me so hard, dont panic, because if you grap me, we will die both, so dont panic!". I tried to calm myself, well i was not so alarmed, because im cool blooded. We were floating some seconds, and then some guys arrived with lifeguards.
When i was back in the neach, i remember the lot of people seing us, My momma crying like craxy and my papa was bad because he swallowed a lot of water. I was just weak, with a lot of pain in my legs.
It was my worst experience, and after that, i really take care when im in the sea.