The Sh#t that Happens
Hugh, Calder and I have spent the last two glorious weeks of our holiday at the lake. We spent time canoeing, reading, fishing, swimming and of course, playing monster trucks.
My brother, Luke, had taken my dad's boat on a trip north of LaRonge with his girlfriend, Brittany, and her family on the middle weekend of our holiday. The plan was for him to return it on the Sunday so we could use it during our last week at the lake. Because of unforeseen circumstances (including multiple flat tires, a bent trailer axel and what I presume is ALOT of swearing) Luke, understandably, wasn't able to get the boat back to us.
We had the canoe, but apparently we needed a boat with a motor, or so my dad thought, because he brought us his 14 foot aluminum fishing boat and a 20 horsepower motor to get us out on the water. He got it there Monday night just as Calder was going to bed and both he and Hugh figured they better use the last hour or so of daylight to get some fishing in. I, not wanting to waste a precious moment of quiet time, started a fire, pulled up a comfy lawn chair, and grabbed my book. I was determined to enjoy that last hour of daylight, too!
It was a quiet Monday night at the lake. Peaceful, calm, and serene.
As the boys pulled up in the boat around 8:30 pm, Hugh was barely out of the boat when he said, "You won't believe what happened to us." I like a good guessing game. I took a careful look at Hugh and my dad. Dad pants were quiet wet and his shirt was damp near the bottom as well. He obviously didn't fall in, but I wondered if they had sprung a leak.
Before I got a chance to guess I was informed that they were in a boat crash (which in case you are wondering is like a car crash, only with boats). And as I examined Hugh closer I noticed his dark clothes were masking the fact that they were actually dripping wet.
Shortly before 8 pm Hugh and Dad noticed a speed boat coming towards them at a good speed. The closer the boat got, the more it looked like it was coming directly at them. As the space between the two boats shrunk, Hugh stood up and started waving his arms. In that same moment my dad quickly turned the boat away from the oncoming boat. Lucky he did. Instead of hitting Dad and Hugh's boat directly on, it careened off the side.
Hugh was thrown out of the boat. When he began to surface his head hit the top of dad's aluminum boat. He quickly pushed himself as far down as he could, not knowing where the motor was.
On the surface my dad cut the motor the moment Hugh went in. Dad had a scary 15 seconds before Hugh surfaced.
Dad figures the speed boat was going between 40 and 50 mph. The driver had his wife and 3 elementary school aged kids with him. He wasn't boozing on the water. He just wasn't paying attention. The man replaced the rod Hugh lost with one in his boat and gave him $50 to replace it. He was apologetic. He probably won't sleep for a week.
As Hugh finished the story I found myself laughing. The sh#t that happens to my dad is unbelievable.
Hugh said as he was going over the only thing he thought of is, "If I don't die, Jord is going to KILL me for not having my lifejacket on." FYI the jackets were neatly stacked on the floor of the boat. And I will kill him if he doesn't have it on next time. I shutter to think of what might have happened if he was knocked unconscious as he was thrown over the edge of the boat.
I told Hugh and Dad that they better mark that down as one of their 9 lives. Dad's response, "Ohhhh, no. I've had way worse things happen to me than that."
A few things come to mind, but seriously I do. not. want. to know.
My brother, Luke, had taken my dad's boat on a trip north of LaRonge with his girlfriend, Brittany, and her family on the middle weekend of our holiday. The plan was for him to return it on the Sunday so we could use it during our last week at the lake. Because of unforeseen circumstances (including multiple flat tires, a bent trailer axel and what I presume is ALOT of swearing) Luke, understandably, wasn't able to get the boat back to us.
We had the canoe, but apparently we needed a boat with a motor, or so my dad thought, because he brought us his 14 foot aluminum fishing boat and a 20 horsepower motor to get us out on the water. He got it there Monday night just as Calder was going to bed and both he and Hugh figured they better use the last hour or so of daylight to get some fishing in. I, not wanting to waste a precious moment of quiet time, started a fire, pulled up a comfy lawn chair, and grabbed my book. I was determined to enjoy that last hour of daylight, too!
It was a quiet Monday night at the lake. Peaceful, calm, and serene.
As the boys pulled up in the boat around 8:30 pm, Hugh was barely out of the boat when he said, "You won't believe what happened to us." I like a good guessing game. I took a careful look at Hugh and my dad. Dad pants were quiet wet and his shirt was damp near the bottom as well. He obviously didn't fall in, but I wondered if they had sprung a leak.
Before I got a chance to guess I was informed that they were in a boat crash (which in case you are wondering is like a car crash, only with boats). And as I examined Hugh closer I noticed his dark clothes were masking the fact that they were actually dripping wet.
Shortly before 8 pm Hugh and Dad noticed a speed boat coming towards them at a good speed. The closer the boat got, the more it looked like it was coming directly at them. As the space between the two boats shrunk, Hugh stood up and started waving his arms. In that same moment my dad quickly turned the boat away from the oncoming boat. Lucky he did. Instead of hitting Dad and Hugh's boat directly on, it careened off the side.
Hugh was thrown out of the boat. When he began to surface his head hit the top of dad's aluminum boat. He quickly pushed himself as far down as he could, not knowing where the motor was.
On the surface my dad cut the motor the moment Hugh went in. Dad had a scary 15 seconds before Hugh surfaced.
Dad figures the speed boat was going between 40 and 50 mph. The driver had his wife and 3 elementary school aged kids with him. He wasn't boozing on the water. He just wasn't paying attention. The man replaced the rod Hugh lost with one in his boat and gave him $50 to replace it. He was apologetic. He probably won't sleep for a week.
As Hugh finished the story I found myself laughing. The sh#t that happens to my dad is unbelievable.
Hugh said as he was going over the only thing he thought of is, "If I don't die, Jord is going to KILL me for not having my lifejacket on." FYI the jackets were neatly stacked on the floor of the boat. And I will kill him if he doesn't have it on next time. I shutter to think of what might have happened if he was knocked unconscious as he was thrown over the edge of the boat.
I told Hugh and Dad that they better mark that down as one of their 9 lives. Dad's response, "Ohhhh, no. I've had way worse things happen to me than that."
A few things come to mind, but seriously I do. not. want. to know.
Oh my! Glad to have you back. And Hugh too for that matter!
ReplyDeleteYIKES!! How terrifying!! :s Glad everyone was okay in the end, but yikes... :(
ReplyDelete