Do not swim at Ocean Beach
With water up to my waist and waves rolling in, I made the decision that I should go no further. I’d mustered enough courage to get over any immediate fear, but I was already cramping in the cold and I’m not a particularly strong swimmer. The decision I made not to dive in and swim further out was a rational one, as doubling the number of men struggling to keep from drowning wasn’t going to help anyone. I was helpless, and though I wasn’t responsible for any of it, I could sense the grief on the horizon, and I was making a conscious effort to numb the feeling.
When the surfer ran up I knew that if the man flailing sixty yards from shore hadn’t drowned already, he’d probably be alright. And the anxiety eased — I wouldn’t have to live with being the helpless bystander who looked on while someone drowned.
Let me now start from the beginning.
