“Sensible people
prepare for danger.” ~ Proverbs 27:12
The view of her lake in its aquamarine
hues calmed Shana’s soul like nothing else.
Thick pines lined its banks never more than a few feet apart. Today, the only sound echoing across the cool
water was of two women splashing and giggling a good distance from the shore.
Something seemed off.
Their two kayaks had overturned yet they weren’t making any attempt to
flip them back over.
Shana’s maternal instincts kicked in. She quickly donned a life jacket and popped
out in her own kayak to check on the women.
She paddled swiftly; saying a prayer for composure and mental clarity. As she approached, Shana feared they might be
in trouble.
Drowning is loud and splashy in the movies. Victims yell and wave their arms in dramatic
fashion before slipping below the surface.
Actual drowning is quiet, movements are subtle. Victims rarely make any noise at all.
Shana grabbed the drowning one by her bathing suit as she
bobbed in and out of the water and continued screaming for help. Her husband, Tim, and brother, Jake, rushed to
their boat and sped off; the cover still half on.
“Hurry! I’m losing her,” Shana shouted.
At the scene, Jake jumped in and stabilized the girl while Tim maneuvered the boat closer. They struggled getting the unconscious woman out of the water and into the boat.
Jake raced back to shore while Tim started
chest compressions. The panicked friend
tried swimming away before a passing boat convinced her to climb aboard. She was clearly inebriated which explained
why they flipped and resisted efforts to help save them.
EMS met both boats at the shore where they stabilized the
drowning victim before whisking her away to a hospital and helicoptered her to
a trauma center for a higher level of care.
She was expected to survive. The
other woman was ticketed for BWI.
Neither would probably ever know how close they came to death, but all
of those who aided in the rescue would never forget.
Thank God, several small miracles saved the women’s lives. Shana was the real hero that day. By God’s grace, she didn’t hesitate to help people she’d never met. What if she hadn’t
decided to paddle out to check on them? What if the girl's bathing suit strap had
snapped? What if Tim and Jake had not
been around or the boat wouldn’t start?
We cannot possibly know why God chooses to save or heal some
people and not others. But we do know
that in His grace, God takes the broken pieces of our lives and transforms them
to make us think and act more like Him.
We can only pray those women don’t waste their remaining days.
Father God, we’ve all anticipated this year’s boating season with great expectations. Thank You for allowing us to use a portion of Your great creation. We pray that our joy on the water this season is just that – fun and safe. Amen
