And we are so very happy to be home safe and sound. Because one of our fabulous days in paradise was marred by tragedy. My husband came very close to drowning while swimming in some rough surf. We were very shaken by this. What really drove the point home though was that, as my husband was pulling himself out of the water, another man about 100 ft away was struggling for his own life. It was a struggle he apparently lost. He dropped down in the surf, and after several days he has yet to be found.
Our hearts go out to the woman we stood with on the beach, the woman who, after watching a failed resuce attempt and an agonizing search that included helicopter flyovers, lifeguards combing the shores, and later, coast guard assistance, knew that her loved one was gone.
I stood by her and hugged her while she chanted prayers and exclamations. She spoke german, so I didn't understand the words, but the meaning was clear. Be Strong! Don't Give Up! God Help Him! Mostly though, we searched an angry, empty sea. At times we could only look into the wind and cry.
When it got dark and they suspended the search until morning, there was no misunderstanding. In her heavily accented english, she softly said to me, "it's over. not good." There was nothing I could say except "I'm sorry."
and Thank You God for giving us another day
R.I.P. Peter Unzeitig, Nov. 29, 2006
2 comments:
I'm so sorry hon. Sounds like a great trip otherwise. Is your husband doing okay?
Amy O.--Thanks. Yes, hubby is fine. Just trying to make sense of it all. It was a very scary afternoon to say the least.
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