I’ve been a “water bug” for as long as I can remember. My dad taught me to swim when I was 10 years old, and I’ve been swimming almost every day since. When I was in my 40s my teenage son taught me to bodysurf. The idea is to catch a large wave at its crest. Just as it foams over, you flop on your stomach with your arms stretched out in front and ride that wave to the shore for all it’s worth. There’s no thrill like it.
In 1990 my husband, Donald, and I were vacationing in Hawaii. Oahu is famous for its beaches, and one of our favorites is Bellows Beach, south of Kailua on the eastern side of the island. Donald and I had been there many times over the years.
The weather was perfect that day and we practically had the beach to ourselves. The waves crested close to shore, and I waded eagerly into the surf, waiting for a breaker. Within seconds the roiling water knocked me off my feet. My legs suddenly felt powerless. An undertow! I thrust my arms up. “Help! Help!”
My husband was on the beach with his camera, ready to snap a picture of me riding in on a breaker. “Donald!” I shouted, struggling to signal with my hands. He didn’t react. He couldn’t hear my cries. The few others on the beach were too far away.
Even though I knew that if I swam with the current I’d stay along the shore, I panicked and fought to get back on the beach. My strength waning, I tried desperately to keep my head above water. But I couldn’t get back to shore, no matter how hard I tried.
Exhausted and out of breath, I looked up. A nice-looking young man was beside me, his dark hair tousled. He stood solidly, as if his feet were planted in the ocean floor. How strong he must be, I thought. “Take my hand,” he said, “and relax.” I reached for him and the next thing I knew I was walking toward my husband. Donald held me tight, understanding at last that I had been in danger. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” he whispered.
“Thanks to this young man,” I said, turning to introduce my rescuer.
“He was here a second ago,” Donald said. We looked around. The same few people were scattered along the beach. No one was anywhere near us. Not a soul was in the ocean.
