Did I Really Say
That?
By Charlie Ware
Robbie
Potter’s story exposing some of the funnier sides of lifeguarding sparked a
rather interesting statement I made after a cold water rescue I had back in
1972. Great stories Potsy!
I eagerly
waited for that phone call each weekend to get some lifeguard fill in hours
from any of the permanent guards in the off season. Living in Laguna and going
to college close by, allowed me to work fairly regularly most winters. The
money kept me afloat until the steady money came in working almost non-stop
every day each summer. Great gig for sure.
Jim
Stauffer called me early one late February morning with just a “wanna work”
dead pan voice. It was like music to my ears and even though it had rained hard
the day before, I didn’t care what was on the LBLG agenda that day. The
forecast called for a cool, clear and “breezy” day and I was sure that would
keep everyone out of the mid 50’s winter water. As I arrived at HQ, Jim said we
had a few maintenance projects to do and that this was a perfect day to get
them all done. By noon we had a lot crossed
off our list and the wind picked up to about 25 knots. The angry seas were both
beautiful and treacherous. It looked like the San Francisco Bay out there. A call that a sailor has capsized his catamaran
off of Irvine Cove came in and both Jim and I raced for the unit. As we blasted
Code3 down Coast Hwy, the already cold wind biting at my face in our open air
jeep, I was reminded that this why we trained in cold condition environs.
As we hit
the top of the stairs at Irvine Cove we looked out at the 6- 8 ft. wind chopped
waves to see a single sailor attempting to right his 16 ft. catamaran at least
500 yards off shore. Jim simply said, “Go help him and tell him this is not a
good day for this.” By now the wind was at its peak and the water temp had
plummeted. With no wet suit and just my tube and fins, I charged into the water
at first not really feeling the cold, but after a few strokes, my head started
pounding and it was all I could to swim head up to keep an eye on the craft and
the victim. By the time I had arrived, the sailor who was wet suited head to
toe, was in the water trying desperately to right the boat. He seemed
determined to finish his adventure and after I dove down to un-cleat the sail
we were able to right the boat together. Now, the cold temp was starting to
take affect. I had planned to hitch a ride back to the beach with him, but he
hitched- up quick and he was gone before I could climb aboard. The wind was
blowing even harder now and he hit the beach in no time. By this time, I had
drifted almost to Emerald Bay and I debated weather I should go with the flow and swim in
at the north end of E-Bay or gut it out back to Irvine Cove. I knew first stage
hypothermia had set in and I had to get moving fast. I took the shortest route
towards Irvine Cove and battled the current most the way. When I hit the beach
I was shaking like leaf and I couldn’t feel my hands or feet. Growing up and
surfing in Laguna I had experienced this many times and thought nothing of it.
I climbed the stairs to Jim standing next to the unit with that classic
Stauffer grin. He threw me a towel and my light jacket and said,” Nice job, was
it cold out there?” He laughed loudly as we headed back towards City Hall where
the Police Dept. showers really worked best. The heat of those showers was all
I could think of while we sped through town. Jim all the while, still chuckling
as we recounted the rescue along the way. As we approached the intersection of Forest Ave. and Glenneyre we stopped for a very attractive gal crossing
the street. As she crossed near my side of the jeep we made eye contact and I
blurted out, “Wanna take a shower?”
I have no
idea what made me say this. Perhaps the hypothermia had affected my judgment or
she was just that cute, but Jim burst out laughing again. The good natured gal
just smiled and continued on. I’m sure today I would have been severely
disciplined for that remark. It was truly a great time to be a LBLG.
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