The Whiting family was enjoying their last day of vacation on a sunny beach in Monterey, California, when 10-year-old Haylee Whiting got caught in a rip current.
Haylee's mom, Samantha Whiting was sitting on the shore when she heard her daughter crying for help.
Samantha Whiting sprinted into the water to try and grab her daughter but underestimated the strength of the current. Soon the waves were swallowing them both.
"I was thinking this is not happening. There's no way I'm being pulled out. I was terrified," Haylee told CNN affiliate ABC7.

"I will never forget her face when she said, 'Mom, help me!'" Whiting said.
Fortunately, one beachgoer heard the screaming and sprang into action.
"I've been swimming since I was 3 years old competitively, so I felt like I could get to them. I ran out there and as soon as I got to the mom, I knew she was struggling," Kevin Cozzi told ABC7.
Cozzi grabbed Haylee from her mother's arms -- leading them both to safety on the shore.
Haylee suffered no injuries and the Texas family headed home the following day, grateful to have avoided a tragic end to their otherwise blissful vacation