Sunday with Sam...

 

This past sunday started out normal but ended with me realizing how quickly your life can change.

 

My monk seal mentor Mary, called me to join her and check on Sam, (aka RT12), he was napping on Aliomanu Beach. Sam is in the final stages of his molt (annual shedding of his outer layer of skin and fur.) This is a rather stressful time for the seal, they don't eat, don't feel well and just wanna rest. So we go out to ensure that they are left undisturbed.  As Mary and I sat under this tree observing Sam we were sharing monk seal stories and experiences when we heard a woman yell from the house behind us...."is that guy okay?? He just flipped his kayak in those large waves!!"

This is where Mary and I were sitting. You can see the waves break to the left side of this photos. This would be the area where the young man got dumped out of his kayak--with NO lifejacket!!

We came out from under the tree to see the young man clinging to the kayak as it thrashed around in a vertical position in  the waves. Mary who knows the east side of Kauai like the back of her hand called 911 and I kept an eye on him through my binoculars. It was heart breaking to watch as he clung to that kayak for his life.  I really didn't think this was going to end well.

 

Meanwhile Sam continued to stretch

 

and catch a few rays

 

After nearly 45 minutes of watching this unfold...

Kauai Fire and Ocean rescue arrived and two of our brave lifeguards paddled and kayaked out into the surf to rescue this young man.

 

 

I truly believe that God puts us in places we need to be at the right time.

Sunday was one of those days...

A woman from Texas who saw the man struggling

2 monk seal volunteers--one who knew the area and could instruct rescue as to how to get there,

the other who kept watch with binoculars that are normally used to monitor monk seals.

rescue personal who do their job SO well, and

SAM, yes Sam, a little monk seal who was just resting on that beach.

That seal brought a whole bunch of folks together in just the right time and place.

Some may say this was luck, I think it was all God's plan.

 

 

The young man was battered and exhausted, but alive!!

He attended his friend's wedding on Monday at a beach house just

yards from where he struggled for his life in the waves.