We sit at a waterfront café enjoying the gorgeous view of the sea while sipping our coffees. A strong west wind makes us marvel at the sailing boats and their captains out there. What strength, knowledge of nature and technical abilities does this sport require to make a boat sail!
Then we see a sailboat coming awfully close to shore, struggling to get turned into the wind as the sails flutter loudly. No command. The sailboat comes closer, all of a sudden a bang. My thoughts are running: Oh my goodness…What is going to happen to the three older passengers onboard? Are we the only ones watching them? I think we are the only ones watching…. Oh my goodness, another bang as it hits a second boulder.
I cry out: “They are stuck. I hope they won’t sink? What are we going to do?” In my mind I play out the whole scenario: First I will run into the café and ask them to call for help, perhaps even suggest calling the Coast Guard. Then I will jump in to the water and rescue them… perhaps I will be a hero? “Oh shoot, now they are really facing the wrong direction.” The boat is leaning and the captain decides to roll in his jib. “What must he be feeling?” The two ladies sit quietly in the front of the boat, not really any help to him… And now, yeah, they cannot move anymore. They sit, grounded.
 Then, out of out of the corner of my eye, I see the true hero of the day. Here he is. He takes off his shoes and jeans, wading through the water towards the boat. He reaches the boat, holds on to the bow and yells commands at the captain that I can’t understand. But the next steps show it all: “Take the main sail down. All right, you move to the port side. Be careful. Now let me move the boat to face the right wind direction so you move into the water channel. Now hoist your main sail again….!” Soon enough he pushes them gently in to the channel and in the right direction. He is breast-deep in the water and waves at them. I am so relieved and so pleased that there is a real hero to this story. It wasn’t me. I ran to the place where he took off his jeans all laying on a bench.
Right next to his clothes sits his teenage son, watching his dad being a hero! I beam at the son and I congratulate the father when he comes out of the water with a very animated “The true hero of the day is definitely you!” as I look at his foot bleeding, a cut. All cold but happy he says modestly: “I made this very same mistake a couple of times.” He knows these waters well. “If you don’t turn around in time you definitely hit the two boulders before running aground. Not to mention this strong wind….. !”
He proudly introduces himself and his son, and as they walk off to their home he says, “What a sensation!” I reply: “Yes, and all your sensation is captured on my camera… let me send them to you.” “All right, I'm a local and work at the Paulsen yard.” “No problem.”
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