Excerpt

There must have been at least a hundred boats anchored or beached in the cove that day. People were swimming; children were laughing, playing, and splashing about along the beach. Music was broadcasting from the consoles of some of the boats, with a general party atmosphere throughout the cove. Everyone was very friendly and congenial, offering friendly conversation or a cold drink to those they had just met or helping with anchoring or beaching their boats. As the afternoon wore on, some boaters brought camping gear with them and set up small tents on the beach along the waters edge. There were a few bonfires and charcoal grills started along the beach. We could smell the delicious aroma of grilled burgers, hot dogs, and other goodies drifting over the water.

It was just about dusk. We had eaten dinner on deck and watched a beautiful sunset over the river. The winds and water were calm except for an occasional small ripple caused by a passing boat. A gentle rocking motion would follow, adding to the serenity of the evening. Things were quieting down in the cove, with the remaining boats planning to spend the night at anchor or pulled up along the sandy beach.

Suddenly, we heard screams coming from a boat about a hundred feet away from us. A woman was standing in the back of her boat, waving her arms and shrieking, Help! Help! My husband, my husband! He fell off the boat. He was leaning over wiping the side of the boat and something grabbed him! Please, somebody help him.

My immediate response was to jump into the dinghy with some life jackets and get over to the area, thinking that he must have fallen in while washing the side of his boat. By the time I got there several people had already arrived in dinghies and were diving in the water. Others were shouting directions and pointing this way and that.

A few minutes later I heard screams coming from our boat. Dad, I saw something! I saw something! shouted Jessica from the deck of our boat.

I quickly drove the dinghy back toward our boat, followed by a couple of other people in dinghies. What did you see? I yelled, my voice sounding a little shaky. What was it?

A man, she quivered, shaken and scared, I saw a mans leg kick out of the water. Something was holding him by his ankle.

What! Are you sure?

Yes, she said hysterically, something was holding his ankle and pulled him back under! Eeeek! She gasped, with a look of terror on her face.

Kathryn was on the radio. She had gone below decks to call the marine police and the Coast Guard for help. When she heard Jessicas panicky cry for help, she rushed up on deck to hold the trembling young teen and calm her fears. She scanned the water but saw nothing. Alan was on the foredeck when his sister screamed, so he ran back in a panic to see what was going on.

Alan, did you see anything? I asked.

It was nothing, Dad. It was just the water swirling around. Jessie always over-reacts!

He was there! I saw him, cried Jessie again. You never pay attention! she exclaimed, giving Alan a shove. I saw him, and something pulled him down by his ankle.

Normally Alan would have made some kind of retaliation, but he was too shocked and frightened by events, so he took the assault quietly.

The Maryland Marine Police arrived within minutes from the first radio call. First a small launch with three officers on board, and shortly thereafter another larger police boat arrived with large search lights on board and three divers in full gear, ready to go into the water. A USCG search and rescue boat, dispatched from Baltimore, was also soon upon the scene. Police in the first boat went to the aid of the grieving wife and began to organize the search and rescue. Men in the second police boat stayed near us and asked everyone to hold their positions, while the Coast Guard vessel prepared to search the area.

Darkness closed in and it was difficult to see anything in the water. The humidity was high, and a haze hung low over the water, which made the visibility worse and further hampered the rescue efforts.

A large motor yacht with underwater flood lights volunteered to pull up behind our sailboat and tie on to our stern. By midsummer, the Bay waters get murky and the visibility drops to a few feet at best. The bright underwater lights helped in these conditions, but only in the area directly under the boats. Divers were also using underwater flood and spot lights to help them look for the missing boater.

Everyone was very shaken by now. I sent Kathryn and Alan below decks to settle down. Sergeant Fran Baker of the Maryland Marine Police came on board with her partner, Corporal Reed Bussell, to ask Jessie what she had seen, and where she had seen it.

Sergeant Baker was a seasoned professional who had been on the water for a long time and could handle just about anything. I had once seen her parallel park a forty-footer along the sea wall at the Annapolis city dock with about one foot clearance on each end; and she did it in one attempt. She also knew what to ask and how to get right to the core of things. She was not doing much talking herself, and I believe it was because she had other information that I would not find out about until much later.

Which way did he go under? Sergeant Baker asked.

Down, he was just pulled down, Jessie exclaimed, towards the back of the boat!

Are you sure he was pulled down? replied the officer.

Yes, Jessie shuddered, I saw something holding his ankle, and it suddenly pulled his leg down.




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