Stranger To Our Rescue
Ivan R. Bosanko
September 03, 2008
In 1967,we were living in Renton,Washington after being transferred from Vandenberg AirForce Base,California. My husband,Ivan, was working for The Boeing Company as a technical writer. We'd bought a home,enrolled our three children in school, and started to enjoy the good life Puget Sound offered. An urgent call from Cape Kennedy, with an offer my husband could'nt afford to turn down, changed all that. It was November,when we pulled our kids out of their classrooms and away from their friends.
When we arrived in Florida, we checked in at a local motel on Cocoa Beach. My husband tossed me the car keys and said you're it! Get the kids in school on Merritt Island,look for a place to rent that we can afford,and I'll see you in a couple days. I found out later,that he more then burned the mid-night oil trying to come up with an acceptable recovery plan document that needed NASA's okay and signature.
With our children back in school, I searched the local area for a decent rental. Anything that came close to what we wanted was sky-high! What to do? The wife of a local home-builder told me that GI mortgage money was available.Since my husband was an ex-GI, we could beat the high-rent. We got in a brand-new home for the unheard of sum of $400 deposit with monthly payments of $152. The location on Merritt Island was within easy walking distance to school. Imagine my husband's surprise when I drove him to our new home.
Our new home was within hearing and seeing distance of the huge launch towers at The Cape. We never tired of watching the smoke and flames that came shooting out behind the rockets as they left the good earth. This kind of living suited our family's lifestyle to a "T." We
were less then 15 miles from all the launch activity and under 8 miles from the ocean at Cocoa Beach. It was Florida living at its best.
The spring and summer of 1968 brought to us a new and different high-going to Cocoa Beach. We soon feel into a routine that everybody in our family loved. Because only emergency and beach patrol vehicles were allowed on the beach, we´d park as close as we could get. Then my husband would open the car trunk and hand out our beach gear,making sure that we did it all in one trip.
Kathy and Russell,our two oldest, always lead the way. Once they neared the beach, they´d go into their sister-brother act by elbowing, pushing or shoving each other until one broke free for the mad dash to be there first! That usually meant that my husband, Tammy our youngest, or I were usually left to pick-up the discarded items they´d left in their haste to claim bragging rights´
Once our two beach chairs were placed under the umbrella, it was time to get out the suntan lotion.We took turns "oiling each other down," a very necessary precaution to escape severe sunburns. We also limited our time at the beach to no more then an hour. That way our fair complexions turned into nice suntans to match the other locals at the beach.
As concerned parents, we practiced water safety. Kathy and Russell, our two oldest, were good swimmers.They were allowed to take their inflatable rubber rafts only as far as the first row of waves that crested. They´d paddle their rafts, surfer-style,out to meet that crest, then ride the wave in as far as possible toward the beach. What a ride they usually got! Tammy, our youngest, was just learning to swim. She carried her big innertube everywhere she went.Either Ivan or I would wade out with her until the water was waist-deep. Then one of us would lift her up and deposit her inside the tube.She´d kick and splash around and have a great time moving along between the waves that broke upon the shore.
We could not have asked for a better day at the beach! A light breeze came off the ocean to help keep the July temperatures pleasant. Even the sand felt good as we dipped our toes into it. Russell and Kathy had finished their pop break and were headed out to meet the waves. Tammy was having a great time moving between the foamy pools caused by the wave´s action near shore. I remember Ivan checking his watch. Ten o´clock.The outgoing tide wasn´t until the afternoon.Suddenly, a beach patrol wagon appeared with its bull-horn blaring away:RIPTIDE! RIPTIDE! EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW! RIPTIDE! RIPTIDE! GET OUT OF THE WATER!
The patrol wagon continued on down the beach spreading its warning, making sure that everybody it came in contact with had heard. I ran down to the beach and out into the water, waving my arms excitedly, trying to get Kathy and Russell´s attention. It seemed like an eternity before they caught my signal. Ivan was beside me, shouting at the top of his lungs, hoping that his voice would somehow be heard above the ocean´s roar.We both turned to look for Tammy. The tide had already caught her,tube and all,carrying her out past the first line of breakers."DO SOMETHING! DO SOMETHING, MARGE!" he yelled, jumping up and down.
Never in my life have I ever been involved in saving another´s life, let alone our daughters. My husband has been many good things to me and our children, but a good swimmer he definitely is not!
I ran full speed into the water,then dove in at the first breaker. Already I could feel the riptide´s strong current taking me out fast! Between strokes, I located Tammy, still far out ahead of me. I re-doubled my effort, determined to close the distance between us. From out of somewhere, a man´s body was next to mine. He paused just long enough to calmly say,"You´re going to need help to bring her in against this tide. Let´s go!"
Both of us gave it our all,until we reached Tammy. I´d never seen her so frightened or scared. Each of us grabbed an arm to free her from the innertube, then sidestroked back against the strong undertow. Progress was slow, but gradually the shore appeared closer and closer. Ivan rushed out to meet us just as we stood up. My husband took her in his arms. She broke down, sobbing her poor little heart out. "Oh Daddy, Daddy," she cried, "my tube is gone! I lost it! Now I´ll have to stay on the beach with you and Mommy!"
"Who cares?" answered my husband." It´s probably halfway to Cuba by now! We´ll get you another one so you won´t have to be tied down on the beach. We´re just so glad that you´re safe with us" He looked ayouround."Marge, where´s that young man who helped you save Tammy? I want to shake his hand and tell him thanks!"
A small crowd had gathered around to witness a near-tragedy.Neither of us ever saw him again, he´d simply slipped away from our thanks and our eternal gratitude. He will always be in our thoughts and hearts, this young man, this stranger to our rescue!
When we arrived in Florida, we checked in at a local motel on Cocoa Beach. My husband tossed me the car keys and said you're it! Get the kids in school on Merritt Island,look for a place to rent that we can afford,and I'll see you in a couple days. I found out later,that he more then burned the mid-night oil trying to come up with an acceptable recovery plan document that needed NASA's okay and signature.
With our children back in school, I searched the local area for a decent rental. Anything that came close to what we wanted was sky-high! What to do? The wife of a local home-builder told me that GI mortgage money was available.Since my husband was an ex-GI, we could beat the high-rent. We got in a brand-new home for the unheard of sum of $400 deposit with monthly payments of $152. The location on Merritt Island was within easy walking distance to school. Imagine my husband's surprise when I drove him to our new home.
Our new home was within hearing and seeing distance of the huge launch towers at The Cape. We never tired of watching the smoke and flames that came shooting out behind the rockets as they left the good earth. This kind of living suited our family's lifestyle to a "T." We
were less then 15 miles from all the launch activity and under 8 miles from the ocean at Cocoa Beach. It was Florida living at its best.
The spring and summer of 1968 brought to us a new and different high-going to Cocoa Beach. We soon feel into a routine that everybody in our family loved. Because only emergency and beach patrol vehicles were allowed on the beach, we´d park as close as we could get. Then my husband would open the car trunk and hand out our beach gear,making sure that we did it all in one trip.
Kathy and Russell,our two oldest, always lead the way. Once they neared the beach, they´d go into their sister-brother act by elbowing, pushing or shoving each other until one broke free for the mad dash to be there first! That usually meant that my husband, Tammy our youngest, or I were usually left to pick-up the discarded items they´d left in their haste to claim bragging rights´
Once our two beach chairs were placed under the umbrella, it was time to get out the suntan lotion.We took turns "oiling each other down," a very necessary precaution to escape severe sunburns. We also limited our time at the beach to no more then an hour. That way our fair complexions turned into nice suntans to match the other locals at the beach.
As concerned parents, we practiced water safety. Kathy and Russell, our two oldest, were good swimmers.They were allowed to take their inflatable rubber rafts only as far as the first row of waves that crested. They´d paddle their rafts, surfer-style,out to meet that crest, then ride the wave in as far as possible toward the beach. What a ride they usually got! Tammy, our youngest, was just learning to swim. She carried her big innertube everywhere she went.Either Ivan or I would wade out with her until the water was waist-deep. Then one of us would lift her up and deposit her inside the tube.She´d kick and splash around and have a great time moving along between the waves that broke upon the shore.
We could not have asked for a better day at the beach! A light breeze came off the ocean to help keep the July temperatures pleasant. Even the sand felt good as we dipped our toes into it. Russell and Kathy had finished their pop break and were headed out to meet the waves. Tammy was having a great time moving between the foamy pools caused by the wave´s action near shore. I remember Ivan checking his watch. Ten o´clock.The outgoing tide wasn´t until the afternoon.Suddenly, a beach patrol wagon appeared with its bull-horn blaring away:RIPTIDE! RIPTIDE! EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE WATER NOW! RIPTIDE! RIPTIDE! GET OUT OF THE WATER!
The patrol wagon continued on down the beach spreading its warning, making sure that everybody it came in contact with had heard. I ran down to the beach and out into the water, waving my arms excitedly, trying to get Kathy and Russell´s attention. It seemed like an eternity before they caught my signal. Ivan was beside me, shouting at the top of his lungs, hoping that his voice would somehow be heard above the ocean´s roar.We both turned to look for Tammy. The tide had already caught her,tube and all,carrying her out past the first line of breakers."DO SOMETHING! DO SOMETHING, MARGE!" he yelled, jumping up and down.
Never in my life have I ever been involved in saving another´s life, let alone our daughters. My husband has been many good things to me and our children, but a good swimmer he definitely is not!
I ran full speed into the water,then dove in at the first breaker. Already I could feel the riptide´s strong current taking me out fast! Between strokes, I located Tammy, still far out ahead of me. I re-doubled my effort, determined to close the distance between us. From out of somewhere, a man´s body was next to mine. He paused just long enough to calmly say,"You´re going to need help to bring her in against this tide. Let´s go!"
Both of us gave it our all,until we reached Tammy. I´d never seen her so frightened or scared. Each of us grabbed an arm to free her from the innertube, then sidestroked back against the strong undertow. Progress was slow, but gradually the shore appeared closer and closer. Ivan rushed out to meet us just as we stood up. My husband took her in his arms. She broke down, sobbing her poor little heart out. "Oh Daddy, Daddy," she cried, "my tube is gone! I lost it! Now I´ll have to stay on the beach with you and Mommy!"
"Who cares?" answered my husband." It´s probably halfway to Cuba by now! We´ll get you another one so you won´t have to be tied down on the beach. We´re just so glad that you´re safe with us" He looked ayouround."Marge, where´s that young man who helped you save Tammy? I want to shake his hand and tell him thanks!"
A small crowd had gathered around to witness a near-tragedy.Neither of us ever saw him again, he´d simply slipped away from our thanks and our eternal gratitude. He will always be in our thoughts and hearts, this young man, this stranger to our rescue!