Vacationers looked on, still not really sure what to say, as paramedics helped the man who had just nearly drowned across the beach to the ambulance waiting in the parking lot.
"Every once in awhile we get tested."
That's what I heard an older member of the Beach Patrol in Duck, North Carolina say to the young lifeguard who had just pulled two people out of the ocean and, I'm certain, had saved their lives.
My wife Kim, our youngest son and I had been sitting on the beach about 30 minutes earlier when the lifeguard pulled up on his four-wheeler. We knew it was rough, and we'd been careful to the point of being called "mean" to keep our kids out of the water. Still, numerous swimmers, surfers and kayakers were braving the rough seas, and we had no idea anything was wrong.
Until, that is, we saw the young lifeguard radio for help, grab his flotation device and plunge into Atlantic. He covered about 100 yards of water in seconds and before long was dragging a female swimmer to the beach and safety. We thought it was over until we heard the cries coming from the ocean, another swimmer who had been overcome by the strong rip current prevalent in Duck today.
"Help! Help!" he shouted.
Fortunately for him and the lifeguard, help had just arrived. Fire and rescue personnel charged onto the scene and quickly enlisted the help of bystanders on the beach.
After the lifeguard had reached the stranded swimmer, a train of good samaritans used a rope to pull them both out of the ocean.
It was as if the beach itself breathed a sigh of relief when the two finally emerged from the water.
For anyone vacationing in the Outer Banks, or at any Atlantic Beach this summer, this incident serves as a reminder that rip currents and rough water are no joke. The ocean is not a pool and is unforgiving when it comes to making the mistake of misjudging its power.
Ed Wicker of Bob's Bait and Tackle in Duck knows all too well how deceiving the ocean can be. Two years ago, he jumped in the water to try and save a couple who could not get back to shore. Before long, Ed himself was in trouble. Luckily, he had tossed his cell phone to a lady on the beach and told her to call 911.
"I just remember the lifeguard throwing me that buoy," Wicker said.
"It was terrible out there, a lot different than it looked from the beach."
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