A woman is not giving up her search to find a woman who tried to save her husband's life in 1975.

Pat Underwood’s husband drowned at South Padre Island on Saturday, Sept. 27, 1975.

On the 50th anniversary of his death, Underwood spoke with Channel 5 News about the woman who jumped in to help, and how she’s still looking for her to tell her "thank you."

Underwood says looking out at the ocean waves at SPI brings back the painful memory of her husband’s death that still haunts her.

“I have never felt so empty inside, so sad and so hurt,” Underwood said.

Underwood’s husband — U.S. Marine Juan Martinez — was due to head back to Florida the following Monday.

“It was a Saturday, and we thought we would come out to the beach and spend family time,” Underwood said.

While at the beach, Martinez decided to go into the water to snorkel. Underwood said she and her three children then watched in horror as the ocean took him from them.

“It was very difficult, I didn’t know what was going on, but he kept waving his hands and saying he needed help,” Underwood said. “He yelled for help three times and there was no one around to help.”

At that moment, a young girl with blonde hair jumped into the water to try to save Underwood’s husband.

“I think she was 18-years-old, she tried really hard to help him,” Underwood recalled. “My husband [was] on his knees and she is standing, they almost reached hands. Then a big wave came and swept him away, and we couldn’t find him.”

Eventually, Martinez was pulled out of the water, but there was nothing they could do.

“They did CPR and all, but it was too late,” Underwood said.

Since that day, Underwood has remarried but never forgot her first love. 

Underwood said she and Martinez met when they were both in in middle school at Harlingen CISD.  

They married young with big plans.

“He was full of life, and plans for the future for him and I and our children," Underwood said.

But their love story turned into a tragedy.

“We were married three years and one day, he died too soon,” Underwood said. “It was hard driving back to Harlingen without him and just the idea that he was gone… It was heartbreaking.”

Underwood, a Michigan native, said she occasionally comes back to the Rio Grande Valley to visit Martinez’s grave site.

She hopes to one day find the brave woman who tried to save her husband. 

“I never got to meet here, I never got to talk to her, because when they pronounced him dead we were all just in shock,” Underwood said.

Underwood said she has one thing she’d like to tell the woman.

“I just want to say thank you, thank you for trying,” Underwood said.

Those who know who the woman is are urged to email news@krgv.com to put her in contact with Pat Underwood.

Watch the video above for the full story.