Rescue

Sam's Adventures: Two Birds One Stone
Chapter Three, Part Four

It was nearly an hour later when the monster storm broke, it calmed down slowly but the girls noticed suddenly. Liz tired out from swimming against the storm and treading water for over an hour, despite help from the other girls, stayed behind under the boat with Ava while Sam , now recovered, ducked under the side to check it out. At this point Sam was so used to wearing the lifejacket in the water that she no longer bothered to tread water, simply using her hands to turn herself in place; the hood of the jacket made turning her head harder than simply rotating her body, her legs simply hung below her. Looking up at a blue sky Sam banged on the hull of the boat for the other girls to come out. They joined her a moment later, Liz first followed by Ava a moment later. Liz immediately tried to climb up onto the top of the boat but didn't manage to get more than her upper thighs out of the water before falling back down. Obviously in need of assistance Sam and Ava both grabbed onto her immediately, they hadn't realised how exhausted their friend was.

“Here” Sam let go of a tired out Liz, letting Ava hang onto her, and began to unstrap her lifejacket. She undid the chest and crotch straps and immediately felt less secure. She had to start using her legs to tread water as she unzipped the jacket and pulled her arms out. Without the lifejacket Sam had to swim to avoid sinking, she felt much more vulnerable and exposed, wearing the lifejacket made her feel like superhero by comparison. Ava supported Liz as Sam pulled the jacket under her. Liz found the arm holes and slid her arms though on her own accord. Sam was supporting herself with a hand on the boat, She was not able to offer much assistance without the use of both arms. Ava reached over Liz’s shoulders and pulled the zipper up securing both sides of the jacket. She then swam around the front of Liz and with some effort pulled the check straps together and buckled them into place. Sam saw the end of the crotch strap floating behind Liz and grabbed it.

“Here” passing it over to Ava who floated on her stomach to pass it around Liz’s leg before moving to buckling it into place as well, The jacket was riding up on her tho and the strap obviously wouldn't reach.

“Can you pull your jacket down?” Liz was looking even more tired now that she was without adrenaline and knew she didn't have to fight to float, but she managed to half pull the jacket down over her torso, half wriggle up into it more, just long enough for Ava to get the last strap buckled into place. Liz lay back in the jacket floating on her back with her head on the collar, eyes closed, breathing heavily, arms and legs hanging loose as she finally got some rest.

“You should have told us you were so tired we could have given you a vest sooner” As Ava fussed over Liz in the water Sam climbed easily up onto the top of the hull and stood up to get a better look around.

“We drifted a long way guys. I think we are way down near the narrows.” The narrows where at south end of the lake four or five kilometers from the sailing school. Even with a mast it would have taken nearly an hour to sail back with a decent wind, which they also did not have. The storm having broken the water was a still as glass and there was not a cloud in the sky. Sam sat down on the hull of the boat.

“I think we just have to wait it out guys”

It was around a half hour later that Sam spotted a speed boat heading their way, Sam stood up and waved her hands. Ava was still in the water with a,slightly less, but still exhausted Liz. Moments later Sam saw the police label on the side and picked out Tamara standing in the bow.

As the boat came up alongside Sam could see relief painted across Tamara's face.

“Are you guys ok?!” She was yelling as soon as she was in earshot Sam gave her a thumbs up as confirmation.

Tamara threw a rope to Sam who set about carefully climbing down to the bow and tying it to the eyebolt located there. Liz was trying to get into the boat helped by Ava from below along with Tamara and with of the two police officers from above. The police officer grabbed hold of the loop on her lifejacket and hauled Liz into the boat. Ava got a similar treatment a moment later as she tried to climb aboard. Sam, now dry, was going to try and jump but then thought better of it and climbed down into the water again before grabbing hold of the gunnel on the other boat and pulling herself up. Tamara and the officer both helped unbidden each taking one of her arms and pulling her up. Sam sat down against the side of the boat.

Tamara handed Sam a towel and poured a cup of soup from a thermos.

“What happened to your life jacket?”

“Liz lost hers in the storm, she got tired out so I gave her mind”

The police officer handed Sam an inflatable vest similar to the ones they were wearing. Sam dropped her towel for a moment to put it on. It was a basic affair went on like any other jacket and clipped in the front.

Tamara handed her the soup as the officer at the helm fired it up and began to tow the broken sailboat back with them toward the other end of the lake.

“Sam took a pretty bad blow to the head” That was Liz feeling a little better and sitting up now against the far side of the boat. Also with a cup of soup and a towel. Ava was talking to the policeman who had given Sam the towel.

“Let me have a look” Tamara pulled out a first aid kit and a flashlight and began looking Sam over.

“Is everyone else ok?”

“Yes, three boats didn't make it back, Andrew also took a bad blow and a lot of water, he is at the hospital right now but will be fine”

Ava turned around “What happened?”

“He was knocked unconscious when their boat capsized and ended up face down in the water, luckily Kailee got to him. They are keeping him at the hospital overnight as he has a bad concussion and nearly drowned but he is going to be fine” Kailee and Andrew had been sailing the laser two, they were in Kevin's class, a higher level than Sam, Ava and Liz. “Just try to relax guys we will get everything sorted out, everyone is safe now”