Son, 12, took the kayak across the bay to fish. After he was out of my sight longer than I was comfortable with, I went out to call for him to come home.
I took one step outside and from the distance heard my son screaming bloody murder, "Help! HEEEELLLLLLPPPPP!".
I went into first aid mode. I directed son, 13, to run along the shore. I directed son, 10, to hold stay home with phone in hand in case we needed to call for emergency help. I drove like a bat outta **** around the bay.
When I got there, the neighbors were arriving, too. My son was frantically swimming from about 200 feet out where the kayak was submerged. I calmly told him to breath slowly, slow his arms and legs and swim more efficiently (he had his life jacket on so there wasn't much danger except for hypothermia/exposure.) I told him to focus on me and that I'd jump in but I know he could make it fine.
Then the paramedics came. 10 y.o. son called 911. We got son 12 out of the lake and they check him, put blankets on him and crisis was over.
My boys were terrified they were going to lose their brother. They really thought he was going to die because of the fierceness of the screams.
Nothing like a crisis to bring the family together. I've never seen so much love between brothers.
Now that it's over, there is something so funny. My boy was in 4 feet of water. He's 5 feet tall. He could have walked back to shore.
Funny thing - he was screaming because he didn't want to get muck in his shoes.
