A Dreadful Day - 4/29/09

I had already completed my daily ritual of coffee and crossword puzzle along with checking e-mails.  I strolled over to the back window to take a look at the view and noticed a boat seemingly playing around, messing up the fishing and causing havoc.  When I looked in the telescope, I immediately noticed no one was at the helm.  No one was driving the boat!  I leaped to the worst possible conclusion and the only one I could have, agonizing over where the driver probably was - in the bay. 

We called 911 immediately and relayed to them the circumstances, our location and to HURRY.  It was distressing how long it actually took for authorities to arrive at the scene.  Several boats passed the circling vessel seemingly unaware of the drama unfolding – I know this because I was constantly looking in the scope, persistently searching for hands in the air, a head bobbing, hopefully a bright orange life jacket, something, anything to indicate the person was still alive.  No luck.  It occurred around 11 that morning.  The Coast Guard, Rockport police, and Texas Parks and Wildlife looked for him for several hours. 

Through the course of the day we learned there was a family renting the house next door for the weekend.  One of the men came over when he saw me looking through the scope to see if I could spot anything. He said it was his brother-in-law, Ryan, who was missing. He asked me to look for a white shirt since that was what Ryan was wearing. His family, his wife and children, his in-laws, all were searching the water, eyes glued to the frothing waves, hoping, praying for a miracle.

I diligently searched through the lens but discovered nothing, but not for lack of trying!  My head ached with closing one eye peering through the telescope lens for literally hours and, like the authorities, to no avail.

Around 4 that afternoon they found his body.  My husband saw them pull Ryan out of the bay with stiffened arms and bloated body.  It was horrible.  We still don’t know what really happened. 

Ryan’s family lost a son, a father and a husband. I cried off and on all day long even though I had never laid eyes on the deceased.  My eyes well up at the memory even now.

How suddenly life can be stolen from us.  I learned two valuable lessons that day - tell the people you love that you care about them every single day for we never know what tomorrow will bring. And the second lesson is always wear life jackets while boating.  Ryan would still be here with his loving family today if he’d only worn one that fateful day.

I try to remember God has a plan and everything happens the way it is supposed to, but this seemed like such a waste. I still mourn for the man I didn’t know.