I just want to let everyone know that I am at home now, recovering and doing very well. Also, many thanks for your prayers and well wishes....they are greatly appreciated.
Kind of embarrassing all these years I've preached how important it was to wear a life jacket on unknown beach's, or where some major activity has gone down. This beach I had been watching for about month, they were doing reconstruction of the rock jetties.... so this outing was a full reconn mission where I should have had a life jacket on.
Very simple I was coming down the beach after 3 hours of reconn, out chest deep and took a step into a drop off. Which I think was from the tug boat that was used to push the barges around. I Went under fast and without warning, took in a lot of water thru my mouth before I realized what happened. I looked up and started to paddle and kick to get back to the surface. My drysuit still had air in it so that helped pull me up quick but I was face down and toes down level on the water surface.. Some how I got turned around to where I was looking skyward and my toes were pointed the same. After a few minutes I realized the don-er tube was slowly allowing water into my drysuit. All I could do was float, no way to pull my feet down for there was as much air in the boots as there was the top part of the drysuit. After several minutes of trying to paddle myself in shore, then use the scoop to push myself, and being dis-oriented. I pulled my sifter in and placed my head on it....then yelled for help. 22 minutes later help came, saved me...I really don't think I could have made it 15 to 30 minutes more.
I've encountered similar conditions with my wetsuit where there was no air trapped in the suit which gave me full control of my feet/body. This time I was helpless seemed and being the bitter cold conditions just made all things worse.
A True Miracle for me to be here today. Thank You Lord.
And Many Thanks for those who called EMS, and was involved in my rescue. I will personally contact each person and crew and thank them in person. I've located the person who called, a lady whom I've seen many times before walking her dog.
Kind of embarrassing all these years I've preached how important it was to wear a life jacket on unknown beach's, or where some major activity has gone down. This beach I had been watching for about month, they were doing reconstruction of the rock jetties.... so this outing was a full reconn mission where I should have had a life jacket on.
Very simple I was coming down the beach after 3 hours of reconn, out chest deep and took a step into a drop off. Which I think was from the tug boat that was used to push the barges around. I Went under fast and without warning, took in a lot of water thru my mouth before I realized what happened. I looked up and started to paddle and kick to get back to the surface. My drysuit still had air in it so that helped pull me up quick but I was face down and toes down level on the water surface.. Some how I got turned around to where I was looking skyward and my toes were pointed the same. After a few minutes I realized the don-er tube was slowly allowing water into my drysuit. All I could do was float, no way to pull my feet down for there was as much air in the boots as there was the top part of the drysuit. After several minutes of trying to paddle myself in shore, then use the scoop to push myself, and being dis-oriented. I pulled my sifter in and placed my head on it....then yelled for help. 22 minutes later help came, saved me...I really don't think I could have made it 15 to 30 minutes more.
I've encountered similar conditions with my wetsuit where there was no air trapped in the suit which gave me full control of my feet/body. This time I was helpless seemed and being the bitter cold conditions just made all things worse.
A True Miracle for me to be here today. Thank You Lord.
And Many Thanks for those who called EMS, and was involved in my rescue. I will personally contact each person and crew and thank them in person. I've located the person who called, a lady whom I've seen many times before walking her dog.