I went to Fla when I was a teen.
I swam out real far to a sand bar.
I stood there looking how far I was from shore and started a mild anxiety attack.
No way I was a strong enough swimmer to make it back to shore with anything resembling speed.
I back floated and kicked in,and stayed out of anything deeper than ankle.
Almost everything in the ocean is a carnivore,
There are things that will kill you, eat you and suck your bones.
SUCK YOUR BONES!! No way. I mean sharks have dignity.
I live in Walton County and see sharks fairly often. On a calm day, you can walk
way out in the water so 200 yards is not uncommon. Today the Gulf is very, very calm. The water is shallow and you don't realize how far out you are until you look back at the shore.
Two weeks ago, we saw two large sharks swim by about 10 feet from the shoreline. Scary.
Similar incident. When I was young...back in the 50's and 60's...(sigh)...my family used to go to the outer banks off the carolinas every year. I thought I was indestructible...the man...kewl...bad a$$...used to swim out to the breakwater cuz the beach breakers just weren't making it for a kewl dude like me...got caught in the undertow a few times and was danged lucky to get out.
Kept away for years until I took Wife and Kidz there in the late 80's. Again I thought I was the Master of the Surf. Took Daughter...then only around 4-5 years old....for a walk along the beach even though she wasn't too thrilled about the breakers.
Bottom line...the 7th Wave hit while Daughter and I were a few feet off shore. Pulled her under...I still don't know how she survived. I held onto her hand as tight as I could while the wave took her under and tossed me around. I felt that same undertow I held felt years before. Again we were lucky to get out with a few bruises and hurt pride.
When we go to the beach no we only go in the pool. The beach is just for a little splashing around and then only if there are lifeguards and lots of other people around.
prisoenr6