[SwimTeamSpeedo]

It was a gorgeous day off the coast of Southern California. The sun was bold in the blue sky, the winds overnight had cleared most of the smog out of the LA basin, a rare treat. It was a perfect day for a boat ride. The 35 foot ocean going vessel with twin 250 hp engines powered its way slowly out of the harbor south of Huntington Beach. Gale wind warnings were posted for 16 miles out, but there was no sign of that now. The winds of the past few days had died off, and surely it was going to be a perfect day. The family of four, two adults and twin boy and girl, ages 14 were ready for a fun day at sea. Sunning, fishing and eating were on tap. They followed a string of similar boats out into the vast open water of the Pacific. Most others would turn back.

The US Coast Guard is always at the ready, but especially on days when the weather plays a fools game. The day was too nice, but the risks at sea were high. In the Pacific off Catalina Island conditions change in minutes and the best of days can quickly become the worst of nightmares.

“Thirty five foot vessel reports person overboard in rough seas, 13 miles west of Catalina Island.”

“Roger, Chopper six fifty two, we are airborne now off Huntington Beach, ETA is seven minutes.”

“Coordinates dispatched to you now. Be advised minimum six foot swells are in the area,”

“Roger that,”

The chopper quickly veered west heading to the coordinates locked in on their navigational computer.

“We have vessel in sight,” the chopper reported. “Making radio contact with the captain now,”

“Roger, be advised we have a vessel in route, ETA is twenty one minutes.” A lifetime when someone is in water as rough as the sea was on this day.

The chopper quickly switched to sea radio emergency frequency. “Catalina Breeze, this is USCG chopper six five two, we have you in sight, can you hear me.”

“I can, chopper. Help. Our daughter age 14 went overboard and we can’t locate her. She is 14, she has on a life vest and she can swim. We are idle and engines off, for fear we might run into her.” The horrified father was remarkably calm.

“Stay with your vessel and alert me if you spot her,” the chopper replied. “Keep all passengers inside, no one on deck. Do not try to rescue, contact us.”

“We are all secure. Understood.” the father replied.

“Get the swimmer ready,” the Captain called out. “Get a basket ready, we may need to recover.”

“Swimmer getting ready,’ came the reply of the young Coast Guard cadet. In the back of the chopper a young man, fresh out of college, quickly changed into a dry suit and prepared to be dropped into the choppy ocean, if the need be. The door to the chopper was opened and the crew quickly took up the task of scanning the water in search of a person. Finding a needle in a haystack of turbulent sea.

“Got her in sight,” came the call.

“Any signs of life?” asked the captain.

“She appears to be moving, wait, yes, she just waved her arms. She has a life jacket on. She is in serious trouble with those waves”

The next series of events happened so fast, Jimmy had no time to think. In seconds he was on a cable dropping fast to the water. The seas were rough, as rough as he had ever trained for. He landed about fifty feet from the terrified young girl, but the swells made keeping sight of her tough. In his ear, the chopper instructed him to her location. The three minutes he was in the water seemed like a life time.

“Got her,” Jimmy called.

The young girl clung to him. “Help me, please,” she kept saying.

“You are fine, just hang on to me,” Jimmy replied. “I am going to strap us together. Okay.”

She said nothing, her arms clinging tightly to his body. The chopper cable was then locked to both of them. “Okay, you are doing fine, now when I tell you to close your eyes, I want you to keep them closed until I tell you to open them, We are going for a ride, just like at an amusement park. You with me?”

“Yes, just get me out of here.”

Jimmy gave the all clear signal and the cable quickly went taught. Within seconds they were out of the waves, swinging in the wind, fifty, then a hundred feet above the water. The crew hands steadied the cable and grabbed both of them. First the young girl was lifted into the chopper, which was hovering over the wild seas. Jimmy was quickly pulled in after. The door was closed.

“Okay, you can open now, you are safe, and so is your family,” Jimmy said.

-------

Abby greeted Jimmy at their apartment on the base. She was so proud and yet so terrified as he relived the story. Jimmy followed with a call to Greg, catching him as he was leaving the pool at the small Division 2 college where he was now the head coach of swimming. He relived the whole story for Greg.

“Well, Jimmy, I guess you can now truly say you are a real swimmer. It does not get more real than that.”

“Yes, I guess so,” Jimmy replied.

Jimmy continues his career in the USCG, now stationed in Alaska. Abby and Jimmy expect their first child in seven months. Despite his swimming years in high school, some big wins along the way, Jimmy won the biggest event of his swimming career in the eyes of a rescued fourteen year old girl. Greg is on his fourth winning season coaching at the small college and is eyeing his break into Division one. Greg remains single, and is a proud Gamecock alumnus, where he set six school records. Randy and Aiden turned out to be more than just swimmers, becoming life long partners and have taken advantage of the opening of marriage to all those in love.

Jimmy still swims, every single day. Greg and Jimmy, to this day, text or talk after each swim.

The end.