I have a lot of stories. I also live near a pristine bay system. I had got a rubber boat and thought it would be ok to go out on Christmas Bay and paddle around. I got lost. The tide went out. My boat sank on an oyster bank. I cut the end of my finger badly on an oyster shell. I was able to flail along with it flooded and and get to a marina, far far from my car. I was severely overheated but thought I could walk back in 95 degree heat. I was near to keeling over when a man in a truck turned around and came back and asked me if I was in trouble. He took me to my car and gave me some water in a jug he was going to use for cleaning which tasted like the freshest spring water ever.
I did see some of the biggest birds I’d ever seen, whoopin’ crane country, though they should have been in Canadee at the time.
Oh, my. So glad you survived.