Page 47 of Fire and Rain
“Roger that.” Sean dressed out quickly and hurried to the helicopter.
They moved efficiently through their safety check and took to the skies, heading toward Fossil Beach. While James radioed Sector for amplifying information about the surfer’s injuries, Sean studied a map, trying to get some idea of where this was. The Coast Guard maintained aids to navigation, so the marker ought to be listed.
“There’s nothing on the map—nada, zip.”
James’ voice came over Sean’s headphones. “Sector says he’s got a strobe. No one has had contact with him, so no one knows how badly injured he is or how long he’s been there. The pilot who reported him said there are no cliffs to worry about.”
Trey added his two cents. “If he’s been out there for a while, he’s got to be hypothermic and dehydrated.”
While Trey assembled what he’d need for an IV and took out a Wiggy’s hypothermia bag, Sean got the basket ready for the hoist and moved into position.
“You’ve got door speed,” James said.
Sean opened the cabin door. “Cabin door open.”
“Roger that.”
Sean watched for the outcropping and the surfer, grateful that it wasn’t yet dark. “Switching my NVGs on.”
Though they were called night vision goggles, they were infrared, revealing heat signatures in daytime just as well as at night.
“Is there any chance he might have been dragged to sea already?” Trey asked.
James answered him. “We’ve got a full tank, so we’ll keep searching until we hit bingo fuel levels.”
Sean searched the surface of the water. “I don’t see any… Wait. There he is at our three o’clock. He’s getting knocked around hard by the waves. There’s barely anything left of that outcropping. We need to move fast.”
While James circled around and brought the helicopter to a hover nearby—he didn’t want to blow the surfer into the water with rotor wash by hovering directly above him—Sean and Trey devised a strategy. Sean would lower Trey in the basket, and Trey would help the surfer climb in. Then Sean would send down the hook to retrieve Trey.
“Let’s do this.” While Trey climbed into the basket, Sean did the safety check. “Safety check complete. Swimmer is in the basket.”
“Begin the hoist.”
“Roger that.” Sean pushed the basket out of the cabin. “Swimmer is leaving the cabin.”
He kept a hold of the hoist line, lowering Trey to the water near the surfer. “Swimmer has reached the survivor.”
Trey climbed out and helped the surfer, who was limping, to climb in.
“The survivor is in the basket.” Sean operated the controls to raise the basket, keeping an eye on Trey, who was now the one stranded. “Survivor is outside the cabin.”
He grabbed the basket, dragged it into the cabin. “The survivor is in the cabin.”
Shaking and weak, the surfer crawled out and sat, terror in his eyes, tears on his face. “I-I th-thought I was d-dead.”
“Not today, buddy.” This was why Sean loved his job. “We’ll get you warmed up and back home again.”
One hoist later, Trey was back in the cabin and working on the survivor.
James radioed ops. “This is Coast Guard Rescue Six-Oh-Two-Three. We have the survivor on board and are RTB.”
ChapterTen
June 11
Eden checkedher reflection in the mirror, the sight of herself in this little black dress with nails and makeup unleashing bittersweet memories.
Damn, babe, you look hot. Don’t zip it. What do you say I unwrap you like a Christmas present and make us fashionably late?
