Me and Rhonda

were swimming next to the Jacksonville Pier. I was 13 or 14 and she was 10 or 11. We were in water about to my waist when all of a sudden the bottom drops out of the ocean! Not only did the sand just slide out under our feet but the current was so strong that it was literally sucking us out to sea (and probably under water too!)

Fortunately I was on the very edge of this rip tide and when I made one mighty leap in response to being sucked out to sea I managed to grab Rhonda's arm and when I landed I was on solid ocean ground! It took all my strength to pull her toward me and once she was safe we both struggled as hard as we could to shore.

If the water would have been any deeper on us we would have drowned that day. I have meant to ask her about that day several times in our life, but I never seem to think about it when I see her.