PANAMA CITY, Fla. - When faced with uncertainty, people respond in various ways — some flee, while others confront the challenge head-on. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Victoria Truppo, a personnel specialist with the 101st Air and Space Operations Group, saw a family in distress and sprang into action.
Truppo was paddleboarding near Panama City Feb. 24 when she noticed a 12-year-old boy struggling against the current while he was paddleboarding. While her daughter watched from shore, Truppo paddled to the boy and attached him to her ankle string and towed him toward the rocks.
“I am not a great swimmer, but in a fight or fly situation, the mommy power took over and I was determined to help and get back to my kids,” said Truppo.
Initially, the boy remained calm, but as time passed, his fear escalated. Truppo reassured him and instructed him to lie still on the paddleboard. Fighting the strong current, it took her more than 30 minutes to get the boy safely to the rocks.
Meanwhile, the boy’s mother, driven by fear of losing her son, tried to help but soon found herself and her 4-year-old daughter trapped in the powerful current. Their kayak flipped over, and Truppo set out to rescue them.
Truppo tried to turn the kayak upright, but it was too heavy with water. She instructed the mother to hold onto the kayak while she swam to shore with the girl.
“She didn’t let go until we reached shore, then my daughter grabbed her and took her to the car to get some heat,” said Truppo.
Truppo then swam back out and guided the mother and her kayak back to shore.
As Truppo recalled the event, she pondered how she remained calm.
“I was calm the whole time until we were all safe, then it hit me,” said Truppo. “I kept on thinking, what if it was me and my kids? No one else understood the situation, so what would’ve happened to us?”
Truppo received the 2024 Woody Braswell Heroism Award during the Adjutant General’s Leadership Summit, June 28 in Orlando for her heroic actions. The mother was very thankful and sent Truppo flowers and a heartfelt note.
“We are neighbors and now really close friends,” said Truppo. “She introduced me to her boyfriend as the woman who saved her and her kids, or she calls me superwoman.”
Truppo said she was grateful to be in the right place at the right time. Although other bystanders noticed her efforts to assist, they were unaware that she, too, needed help.
“I’m thankful I made it back to my kids, thankful the family was safe and really thankful that my daughter didn’t have to watch me fail,” said Truppo. “She saw that I didn’t give up, and I got back to her and my son.”