Was jogging down the beach and saw a guy about 100yds down frantically screaming and slapping the water, with about 10 other people nearby just looking at him. At first I honestly thought he was crazy. The closer I got, I could hear him screaming and sobbing "where is she, where is she?". I instantly took off my shirt, wrapped my phone in it and headed to the water.
A lady came up, who I would later find out was her mom, and between hysterical sobs, said "she is 7 and wearing a green bathing suit". I'm like "oh shit" and ran in. I studied the water and noticed a strong northern current, so I gauged where I figured she might be about 20 yrds from where they were at. Once underwater I started looking for any signs of arms, legs, green bathing suit, hoping to find something and mentally preparing myself to do cpr in chest deep water or find a dead little girl and carrying her in front of her parents.
Visibility was next to zero, I could barely see my hand, the surf was churned up quite good and a dark, sandy gray. Coupled with that, we have a reef here so I was checking under the rocks to see if she got snagged or trapped.
I was looking for probably only a min or 2, but it felt like forever. I am certified in 1st aid/cpr, so I knew every second counted, I felt helpless as everywhere I searched, I felt it was wrong and wanted to look deeper or shallower, or under another rock.
As I came up for a breath after one of my dives, I saw someone running down the beach, maybe 200 yds south, towards a little kid. I start jogging down and see the dad heading down that way as well. As I get closer, I realize it his her as the dad falls to his knees hugging her.
I get closer and he see's me and thanks me as tears are rolling down his face. The mom runs up to me and says "I don't even know you, but I'm going to hug you". I mentioned how lucky she was and to be thankful of the outcome, it couldve been way worse, and she broke down again shaking and crying some of the worst cries I've ever heard.
They tell me they were putting up a tent and were turned around for a min doing that and keeping an eye on their 2 younger daughters who were probably 2 and 4 (the younger girls had no clue what they almost witnessed, they were still playing with their shovels). Both parents were still in shock and both shaking and sobbing. I was shaking pretty well myself.
On the boardwalk, I saw the guy who ran down the beach and talked with him for a min, he had the adrenaline rush as well. Said he used to be a beach lifeguard and the first thing they teach when a kid is missing, is to scan the beach first, that is where the majority of missing kids usually end up (i put that useful tidbit in the forever memory bank instantly).
My foot is scraped from the reef pretty good, I don't feel it yet and don't care either. Extremely grateful it ended up the way it did, I can't even imagine.
A lady came up, who I would later find out was her mom, and between hysterical sobs, said "she is 7 and wearing a green bathing suit". I'm like "oh shit" and ran in. I studied the water and noticed a strong northern current, so I gauged where I figured she might be about 20 yrds from where they were at. Once underwater I started looking for any signs of arms, legs, green bathing suit, hoping to find something and mentally preparing myself to do cpr in chest deep water or find a dead little girl and carrying her in front of her parents.
Visibility was next to zero, I could barely see my hand, the surf was churned up quite good and a dark, sandy gray. Coupled with that, we have a reef here so I was checking under the rocks to see if she got snagged or trapped.
I was looking for probably only a min or 2, but it felt like forever. I am certified in 1st aid/cpr, so I knew every second counted, I felt helpless as everywhere I searched, I felt it was wrong and wanted to look deeper or shallower, or under another rock.
As I came up for a breath after one of my dives, I saw someone running down the beach, maybe 200 yds south, towards a little kid. I start jogging down and see the dad heading down that way as well. As I get closer, I realize it his her as the dad falls to his knees hugging her.
I get closer and he see's me and thanks me as tears are rolling down his face. The mom runs up to me and says "I don't even know you, but I'm going to hug you". I mentioned how lucky she was and to be thankful of the outcome, it couldve been way worse, and she broke down again shaking and crying some of the worst cries I've ever heard.
They tell me they were putting up a tent and were turned around for a min doing that and keeping an eye on their 2 younger daughters who were probably 2 and 4 (the younger girls had no clue what they almost witnessed, they were still playing with their shovels). Both parents were still in shock and both shaking and sobbing. I was shaking pretty well myself.
On the boardwalk, I saw the guy who ran down the beach and talked with him for a min, he had the adrenaline rush as well. Said he used to be a beach lifeguard and the first thing they teach when a kid is missing, is to scan the beach first, that is where the majority of missing kids usually end up (i put that useful tidbit in the forever memory bank instantly).
My foot is scraped from the reef pretty good, I don't feel it yet and don't care either. Extremely grateful it ended up the way it did, I can't even imagine.
