Sam and Jack stayed afloat longer than the others. The current swept them first out to
sea, and kept them there, then back along the coast line battering their raft onto a rocky
shoreline. O'Neill saw a small sandy beach and paddled for all he was worth toward it.
The motor did not stay submerged in the rough seas long enough to be effective.
Unfortunately the raft was flung wide of the beach and dashed onto the rocks. The raft
overturned and both O'Neill and Carter were hurled into the surf. He felt his body being
battered by sharp rocks, scoured by gravelly ocean floors and slammed down again and
again by the pounding surf. When he found his feet he searched for Sam. He lifted her
limp body from a rocky outcropping and dragged her to the shore. There was blood but
he could not tell from where and her lips were blue. He flipped her onto her stomach, put
her arms over her head and attempted to push the water from her lungs. He was
desperate, had to pull himself together. He turned her to her back and started CPR,
breathing into her mouth, alternating with chest compressions. When the water bubbled
into her mouth he turned her to her side so she could spewed out sea water, gagging and
coughing. He held her and muttered 'oh god, oh god Sam'. She felt dazed and thought
this man looked a wreck, water matting down his hair and streaming down his bruised
face. Sam tried to stand but found not only had the wind been knocked out of her but that
her left leg refused to support her weight. Jack put her arm over his shoulder and his arm
around his waist as they hobbled up away from the rising water line. The hill facing the
ocean was riddled with depressions and caves. Jack's problem was to find one that was
high enough so that it would not be swamped by the rising tide but low enough that he
had a chance of getting the two of them into it. His knee was already swelling, his left
elbow had struck a rock so hard his fingers were still numb and he didn't want to think
about the scrapes and bruises. And of the two he was the one in good shape. He wasn't
sure Carter knew who he was and he thought her ankle was seriously compromised if not
broken.
Scanning the pock marked hill side he edged toward a dark spot that proved to be a cave of sufficient height and depth to accommodate them plus it was 15 to 20 feet above the current water line. It was going to be a bitch to get Carter up there but he felt it would be the most secure location available.
With each wave more of the flotsam and jetsam of the rafts appeared. So he sat Carter down half way to the cave and he waded out into the heavy surf and retrieved what he could, flinging it as high on the beach as he could so the waves would not return these treasures to the deep.
Passing Carter seated on a rock, O'Neill made his way inside the cave just to make sure it wasn't already occupied. It seemed mostly dry except for some seepage in the rear. He cleared a spot on the floor of the cave large enough for a place to put a sleeping bag when he had a brain storm. He went down to the beach and grabbed hold of the raft, disconnected the motor and hauled it up the hill side. A gust of wind nearly ripped it from his hands before he could wrestle it in the cave entrance. He lay it down in the widest flattest point in the cave and did his best to wipe the inside dry. He had almost forgotten that he had left Carter outside in the rain, which at this point was again beginning to fall in torrents. He did his best to get her into the cave painlessly. He failed. He returned to the beach to toss what ever he could into the cave entrance. He was getting exhausted but felt whatever supplies he failed to get into the cave would be the very thing they would need to save their lives. It was getting too dark to see and the rain was relentless so he retreated to the cave.
The frantic activity had kept the soaked man warm but Carter sitting on the edge of the raft was shivering violently. O'Neill did a fast survey of the items recovered and found the plastic bag with the clothes he planned to wear that night, a pair of sweat pants, a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of socks. He stripped Carter of her wet clothing, talking to her all the while to calm and soothe her and dressed her in the dry clothing. He swabbed out the raft again and lay her down in it. The next item he located was one of the sleeping bags. While not prefect it was mostly dry and he wrapped this around her. He then went in search of the first aid kit to locate some ace bandages. There was also some with his shaving kit if he could find that. These days with his knees it was a "never leave home without it" item along with ibuprofen. She swallowed the two pills he handed her. He sat at the rear of the raft, tried not to drip too much in it and drew her foot out to tend to her ankle. He wrapped it best he could with the elastic strips and put the socks on her feet and covered her back up.
No sooner did he walk to the mouth of the cave to assess the storm did he realize that it was beginning to calm and his radio was crackling. He was sure he heard Danny and relieved to know they were safe and on the way home for help. He prayed that his return message was heard and understood.
Scanning the pock marked hill side he edged toward a dark spot that proved to be a cave of sufficient height and depth to accommodate them plus it was 15 to 20 feet above the current water line. It was going to be a bitch to get Carter up there but he felt it would be the most secure location available.
With each wave more of the flotsam and jetsam of the rafts appeared. So he sat Carter down half way to the cave and he waded out into the heavy surf and retrieved what he could, flinging it as high on the beach as he could so the waves would not return these treasures to the deep.
Passing Carter seated on a rock, O'Neill made his way inside the cave just to make sure it wasn't already occupied. It seemed mostly dry except for some seepage in the rear. He cleared a spot on the floor of the cave large enough for a place to put a sleeping bag when he had a brain storm. He went down to the beach and grabbed hold of the raft, disconnected the motor and hauled it up the hill side. A gust of wind nearly ripped it from his hands before he could wrestle it in the cave entrance. He lay it down in the widest flattest point in the cave and did his best to wipe the inside dry. He had almost forgotten that he had left Carter outside in the rain, which at this point was again beginning to fall in torrents. He did his best to get her into the cave painlessly. He failed. He returned to the beach to toss what ever he could into the cave entrance. He was getting exhausted but felt whatever supplies he failed to get into the cave would be the very thing they would need to save their lives. It was getting too dark to see and the rain was relentless so he retreated to the cave.
The frantic activity had kept the soaked man warm but Carter sitting on the edge of the raft was shivering violently. O'Neill did a fast survey of the items recovered and found the plastic bag with the clothes he planned to wear that night, a pair of sweat pants, a long sleeved t-shirt and a pair of socks. He stripped Carter of her wet clothing, talking to her all the while to calm and soothe her and dressed her in the dry clothing. He swabbed out the raft again and lay her down in it. The next item he located was one of the sleeping bags. While not prefect it was mostly dry and he wrapped this around her. He then went in search of the first aid kit to locate some ace bandages. There was also some with his shaving kit if he could find that. These days with his knees it was a "never leave home without it" item along with ibuprofen. She swallowed the two pills he handed her. He sat at the rear of the raft, tried not to drip too much in it and drew her foot out to tend to her ankle. He wrapped it best he could with the elastic strips and put the socks on her feet and covered her back up.
No sooner did he walk to the mouth of the cave to assess the storm did he realize that it was beginning to calm and his radio was crackling. He was sure he heard Danny and relieved to know they were safe and on the way home for help. He prayed that his return message was heard and understood.