5 minute freewrite 2745 prompt global reach
This is my post for #freewriters 2745 prompt global reach hosted by @mariannewest
Today, I needed to get all of my traps from the river for Memorial Day weekend. I pulled the crab traps yesterday. Since my boat would be full I told my sister that if she would put the boat in the water for me and take the truck and trailer home, I would pick up the traps, and when I was done, I could call my husband to pick me up, he had something else to do this morning. She did not like me going on the river alone, but I felt I could do it.
I did have one small incident when I was on the bow messing with my anchor rope. I was leaning over and felt a little discombobulated and had to hold on, it only lasted for a few seconds.
As I was picking up the traps, I heard a helicopter and looked up, there were two of them flying low over the river. They looked like Coast Guard helicopters. They flew by me but stopped over Cat Island, which was the island closest to me. One hovered in place, and the other circled the island.
This morning, when I came under the bridge, I saw a blue boat anchored on the island and could see someone wading out in waist deep water. The same boat was still there when the helicopters showed up. The circling helicopter lowered a man to the river and then two more. Then I could see a cage being lowered. My mind was thinking all sorts of terrible things. Did the guy who was wading get hit by a Bull shark? Did they find someone passed away on the island? Was it someone I knew? I said a prayer, please Lord, don't let it be my son, he likes to wade out and fish the islands.
After I had my traps all in the boat, I started idling towards the island, the blue boat was still there. Before I got to the island, the helicopters left. I pulled up to the blue boat and asked if they knew what that was all about. They told me they were trying to get views for their media. I guess the Coast Guard hired a media company for global reach, as if they needed it. It seemed to me to be a waste of taxpayers' money.
photos are mine
Good to hear that it wasn't you son!
!BBH
The mind can think of the worst things when you see something like that.
As it turned out, there was a boat that had washed up on the island, and they were red tagging it, so it could be towed away. There was no need for two helicopters for this job when one boat could have done it. Maybe lowering the men and picking them up with the basket was for practice.
I'm glad that your spell was short on the boat ride and that no one was injured on the island. You're spot on regarding tax money. I hope the weekend goes well.
Thank you, yes, the helicopters were a bit much. I hope your weekend goes well, too.
I find myself profoundly irritated by ads for the ever-expanding branches of the military, including the Coast Guard and the Space Force, on television, radio, and web2 social media. They don't need more exposure, and their very real global reach is not a good thing at all!
For sure, it was too much. That is how they spend our tax dollars, I would have put a red tag on the boat for free for them. The red tags are to tell the salvage company the boat can be towed. FL has a no salvage law, no matter how long a boat has been abandoned, no one but the owner can salvage it, unless they tag it.