(Almost) Drowning in the Caribbean
Added 2020-11-15 14:00:04 +0000 UTCSince my Dad died this summer, I've been collecting stories of him in my notes - there's a LOT of funny stories. One of the classics is the time I almost drowned in the Caribbean. I think I was probably like 13 at the time.
(First off, do you say Caribbean or Caribbean?)
We were on holiday down south, I think it was Cuba. Dad loved to believe that he could sail, although whether that's true or not is debatable.
We went out on a rented catamaran one afternoon when the sea was pretty rough. The waves were big and the guy renting out the boats asked: "Are you sure you're comfortable sailing in this?" Dad said of course! He was a proper sailor, don't you know!
We're out on the ocean and I let go on the ropes for a second to re-adjust where I was sitting. Naturally, at that very moment, we hit a big way and I go ass over head off the boat. You know when scuba divers fall backwards off the edge of the boat? That's basically what I did.
All I remember was falling backwards in slow-motion and seeing my feet up in the air. How ridiculous.
The boat is SPEEDING away. It was really windy so the sails were full and that boat was moving fast.
While I was alone in the middle of the ocean, watching the boat sail away, I had a moment of: "There's probably a lot of sharks out here. I'd really rather not be eaten today."
Dad's the only one with any idea of how to sail, but what does he do? He jumps off the boat to save me. Such a hero!
Poor Mum is left on the boat, no idea how to sail and she's booting away fast. Dad finally yells what to do and she's able to slacken the sails and slow down (or whatever she did, I was still far away in the water!)
I swim back to the catamaran easily enough - I'm a good swimmer. Poor Dad is the one struggling! When he finally gets back to the boat, we all have to try and haul him up, he's tired from all the swimming.
Finally all of us are back on the boat. There's a moment of silence, and then a mixture of crying and laughing.
I'll never forget that afternoon!
Comments
😂
Adventures and Naps
2020-11-19 21:01:49 +0000 UTCI say Carob bib bibian just to annoy my friends. 😂
The Raven
2020-11-16 18:41:56 +0000 UTCmaybe jumping in wasn't textbook but the two of you together were probably ten times less likely to come to harm, while the other adult on board could call the coastguard or whoever if the worst came of it. You should keep telling that story, it's a good one.
David O
2020-11-16 09:30:06 +0000 UTCI think you're right!! Thanks so much Malcolm
Adventures and Naps
2020-11-15 21:27:25 +0000 UTCThat's a great memory, one of many I'm sure and it's a really good idea to note them down like you are even though you probably think you'll never forget a thing. I can't quite believe that it's getting on for 20 years since my Dad went and I always said that I'd write down all of the daft things he got up to with us kids...never quite got round to it though and although I'll never forget the person he was, it's getting harder to recall the detail - you'll look back on those notes in years to come and be so glad you did it
Malcolm Lawrence
2020-11-15 16:59:53 +0000 UTCMy dad died twenty years ago now. The morning after he died, I went to my mother's house to start sorthing our all the formalities, and support my mum, and my sister rushed out to greet me: "Andrew - you need to know - our father had a previous wife and was divorced." That was merely the start of learning a long list of surprices - the biggest one is just how much he suported my mum over the years, how much he loved her, and it was now my job to step into the gap. My mum was far more fragile than I ever realised, and my Father "sorted it all out" - so even myself and my sister never knew it all. He had written me a letter before he died, telling me everything I needed to know. You do discover things after people have died, some sobering, some wonderful.
Andrew J Baker
2020-11-15 15:53:03 +0000 UTCWow 😮 Sounds like one of those panicky and scary moments at the time, but everyone laughs after once you were all safely back on the boat. An excellent story, thank you for sharing.
jillian b
2020-11-15 14:58:56 +0000 UTC" Your girl's overboard!!!" He must have been terrified! Thanks for sharing your memories, your dad was clearly a good man. You share his sense of adventure, he must have been so proud of you.
Stephen Wadkin
2020-11-15 14:31:57 +0000 UTCWhat a great story and a wonderful father. .These kind of memeries are what life is all about ..Make life count because you never know what around the corner ..Life gives but it takes just as quickly. .
Mark Walsh
2020-11-15 14:13:02 +0000 UTCYour Dad sounds like a wonderful man that raised a terrific daughter...
Steve Mikre
2020-11-15 14:06:59 +0000 UTCWonderful story, Alanna! Thanks for sharing! And it’s pronounced Caribbean. Like the film Pirates of the Caribbean. Hope this helps.
Andrew P.C.
2020-11-15 14:02:58 +0000 UTC
