A group of Air Force Academy Cadets are expected home from a trip to Central America Friday. Four of them are earning praise for their quick action, which may have saved the lives of three Panamanians.
The cadets were on a foreign immersion trip to Panama’s inland mountain area of Boquete.

The Academy reports Spanish instructor Victor Nell and 13 cadets took a break from the trip to hit the beach on June 7th.

Nell and Cadet 3rd Class Ben Garoutte noticed two women apparently caught in a dangerous rip tide.

They pulled the women to safety with the help of Cadet 3rd Class Bryan Koenig.

Cadets 3rd Class Derrick Rowe and Allan Foote rescued a man struggling in the water and shouting that he "was drowning" in Spanish.

Nell believes it's likely that the three Panamanians would've drowned without the cadets’ help.

“The four cadets had the courage to get in and help. I was extremely impressed with their swimming skills and their courage to come to the aid of people they did not even know,” he said.

The travelers arrived in Panama May 20 and are scheduled to return to the Academy Friday.