A 41-year-old man drowned in the sea off Emerald Isle Beach, North Carolina, on Wednesday, July 25, despite beachgoers’ attempts to save him by forming a human chain.

This video was captured by eyewitness Shane Gentry. It shows the moment onlookers linked arms along the beach in an effort to rescue the man. He was pulled from the water at about 2.30 pm but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, ABC News reported.

There were multiple rescues on Wednesday between Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach due to a strong rip tide current, the report said. Credit: Shane Gentry via Storyful