A Terrible Day Flashcards
It is remarkable how a seemingly insignificant action or event can change entire lives.
On the last day of our camping trip, the weather was sunny and warm but the day did not start off so well. Dad rose early to surprise the kids with a wonderful breakfast but burned two fingers while trying to turn the pancakes stuck to the griddle. In response to the searing pain, he knocked over the stove and the griddle and dropped the bowl of pancake mix onto the sandy ground. The kids, startled awake by the clatter peeped out of their tents to see what the commotion was all about. They began to giggle as soon as they grasped the situation.
So breakfast instead of the feast that Dad intended was cold cereal with low-fat milk. For the next hour, Dad organized the camping site with two fingers stuck in a glass of ice. Just about then Josh and Kate having completed their ordered chores asked if they could go out with the dingy one last time, promising to wear life jackets.
After the initial mandatory “No” and the required amount of begging from the kids, especially Kate, Dad finally gave in reminding them once again of the rules of Dingy safety and conduct. Dad was not too concerned for the campsite was just a stone’s throw away from the river and they promised to stay close to the shore. Dad would keep an eye on them while he completed packing up the camp.
About fifteen minutes later, Dad looked up when he heard a familiar voice calling “Daddy” from the direction of the river. It was Kate and she and her brother were paddling like pros on the river. Both were obediently wearing their lifejackets and he waved at them. Kate, lifting her paddle to wave back in response lost her balance and tipped the dingy.
There was a frozen look of terror on her face as almost in silence and slow motion it rolled over. Josh frantically leaned to try and balance but it was too late and he disappeared from sight in the midst of the splash. Dad was already headed to the water’s edge, not intending to go in but to be near when they bobbed up. Kate was up first sputtering and crying but there was no sign of Josh.
Then suddenly, in a ruption of water and legs and Dad knew instantly that something was terribly wrong. In a matter of seconds, Dad was in the water, shoes, and shirt off racing towards the overturned Dingy.
Taking a deep breath, he dove under. The water in spite of all the churning was clear and he found Josh quickly. He also discovered why he was in trouble. One of the straps of the life jacket had gotten tangled with the dingy.
Trying as he might, he could not yank it free either. Dad tried to signal Josh to push himself deeper inside the dinghy where breathable air was trapped but Jake was panicking straining against the strap that was keeping him caught under the dingy and underwater. By Dad’s third dive knowing that time was running out, Dad flipped the dingy on his second try freeing Josh from his tether.
The jacket now did what it was designed for, now kept Josh’s face above water. Josh was now limp and unconscious and bleeding from a gash on his head. He immediately started to give Josh mouth-to-mouth while others who had heard the commotion had arrived to help pull the dingy in.
Just as they pulled Josh onto the shore, Josh began to cough and throw up water and breakfast.
A huge cheer erupted from everyone gathered, but dad could not care less. Overwhelmed with relief and adrenalin, Dad began to cry. Kate was sobbing with her arms around her neck and everyone was laughing and crying and hugging.
A potential crisis had been averted.
