"GOD HELP ME"

BY: Jerry Delany

I had been to the beach early that weekend morning (around 4 am.) and caught an assortment of fish with the cast net,--ranging from flounder, sea trout, sheephead and a couple of nice mullet. I went back home and cleaned and cared for the fish. Wife Pat woke up around 7 am. And I was cutting the grass. She asked; "How long have you been up?"---I tell her---and she asked; "What’cha got planned for today?"---reply;---"Not a whole lot,---just what ever."

Now Wife Pat is a Tar Heel from N.C. and has a language all her own,---like na,--means no,--ruff means roof,--come heah means come here and a laid back disposition most of the time,--except when I really "T" her off.

I continue to do odd’s and ends around the house and about 10 am. I ask Pat would she like to ride to the beach with me. She ponders for a while and replies; "As long as we don’t stay all day." I reply; "just about an hour or so."

She pulls a few things together and I slip on my cut off’s again,---they are still wet but that is normal. In the Ramcharger we go,,---across the Vilano Bridge to the beach,---down the approach toward the jetties. I’ve got my cast net just in case I see fish. Everything I need is in the back,--tow rope, shovel, small rope, loose spare tire, toilet paper, dry clothes and some canned foods plus water. You’ve got to remember---this vehicle and fish’en stuff is my home away from home.

We leave the jetties and start driving north,--I’m looking for fish while driving slow. Pat’s not what you would call a beach person--fun to her is under a ceiling fan with the air condition,--tv remote in hand watching her favorite programs,---I’m as brown as a bear and probably just as wild.

The Surfside Runway approach is one mile from the jetties to the St. Augustine inlet. I’m almost there--driving slow,--looking from the ocean to the beach,---back and forth. I notice two women waving and jumping up and down about 100 yards ahead of me. Pat and I look at each other,---what gives?---what is it,--Then I See.!!

THIS IS WHERE I STILL BECOME EMOTIONAL EVEN AFTER 20+ YEARS

I speed up to where the women are,---head for the water,--jam on the breaks,--bury the front tires in the red gravel and ocean water. Pat says; "Oh My God,--Do Something." Now it becomes a matter of reflex decisions and action. There are four small children--1 girl and 3 boys,--ages 5 to 7,--being swept out in the ocean by the under toe current from a run out. Pat is screaming---the mothers are screaming and the kids are going under the water.

I jump out---grab the loose spare tire,---a long length of small rope and run for the ocean. I pass the mothers and they say "SAVE OUR BABIES’.---I reply "GET HELP". I sling the tire as far as I can in the ocean,---run out and grab it and head for the first child,--the little girl. I pull her head up out of the water---hit her in the back,--she responds and I tell her to hang on to the tire real tight. The oldest boy is being swept way out by now and is going under. The two smaller boys are pretty close together so I head for them. The breakers are knocking me backwards and I’m up to my shoulders in the water. I’m walking---half swimming pushing the tire with the little girl on it and she’s crying.

I’m now within 10 feet of the two boys and they are about 6 feet apart of each other. I throw the rope to the one boy and tell him to pull and hold tight. The second boy has gone under,--I don’t see him anywhere,--I swim and dive under,--bring him up. He responds and starts climbing on my back and head. I go under the water with him on top of me,---I push up and grab him under the neck heading for the tire. All kind of things are running through my mind,--"SAVE THESE KIDS,--GOD HELP ME,"—I grab the first little boy and have the second one wrapped around my neck. I get to the tire and quickly secure them to it. The breakers are pounding us and all are coughing and spitting out salt water. I turn and look for the other boy,--I can just see his head bobbing up and down. I throw the rope and YELL to the mothers; "GRAB THE ROPE AND PULL THEM IN". Now,--where is the fourth child,--I spot him and start quickly walking ans swimming to him. He is out deeper. I get to him,--grab him under one shoulder keeping his head above the water. We start moving with the current to the point that I can stand up again. I pick him up and toss him over my shoulder and take off running through the water to shore. The mothers have pulled the three others in using the rope and tire. When I am about ten feet from the shore line, two teen age boys come to me. One takes the small boy,--the other grabs me. I get to the beach and I’m exhausted, sat down,--laid down. The mothers crying come and thanked me,--I talked with the kids and HUGGED them.

Things begin to calm down and I walked to my car and that’s when it happened. I started shaking and crying,--out of control. I laid my body against the hood and just sobbed,--all of it was going through my minds eye,--As It Is Right Now.

Jerry Delany

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