Nathan From Ohio

[Quantum12]

This is a 100% true story. 

Nathan from Ohio, you saved my life on 5-28-2025 on Vista Park Beach in Fort Lauderdale, FL. 

You woke up today at your hotel on the beach just like any other day, the breakfast that you and your wife had was covered by the angel that you are. After breakfast you and your wife decided to read books at your pool and chill. 

You did not know that in two hours you would be at the beach saving my life. I did not know that I would be sucked out into the ocean so far and fast in a massive undertow and strong current.

I woke up that morning to a text from the scuba company canceling my dive because they said the current was too strong. I was kinda sad but I knew they did it for safety. It was day six of my vacation and I was excited to fly home on 5-29-2025 because it was way too hot. 

I decided to walk to the beach from my Airbnb at 1:00PM. It was 95 degrees out with 84 degrees  ocean water temp. Floating on a raft for a half hour I needed to cool off. I walked my raft to the shore and went for a swim. 

The current was super strong so I stayed close to the shore. A massive wave crashed on me and took off my new water shoe. Just one shoe came off. 

It started floating away from the shore. I walked out 5 feet into the water to grab my shoe. I could not get it so I went out another 2 feet. 

The next thing I knew is that the ocean sucked me out so fast and far from the beach that I could not breath. Salt water went into my lungs. I was freaking out. The water was way over my head. I popped up and started screaming and waving my hands. 

I only saw a girl on the beach and it turned out that she thought I was waving at her. Down towards the left of the beach was a man watching his wife swim.

She was swimming sideways with the strong current. I saw her but she did not see me. 

Little did know the man on the beach saw me and he was on his  way out to save my life. In my head I said goodbye to my 16 year old who was at home in Michigan. I took my last breath with water in my lungs and I went under knowing that I would never make it back up to the air. 

I was choking and sucking in more water. My body was sinking.

All of a sudden a person grabbed me by my chest and started pulling me up. He yelled at me and said if you don’t stay calm I am going to knock you out so we both don’t drown. I am not sure how long it took him to pull me to a spot where I could stand but he did. 

As I was passing out he compressed my chest and the salt water poured out of my mouth. 

He finally got me to the shore, his wife came running up and she was trying to help me too. Another person was calling him a hero. 

I was in shock. He made sure I was ok before he left. I told him he saved my life and that I was so grateful. I asked him his name and he said I am Nathan from Ohio. 

He waked away with his wife as they were both so humble. I cried for a while. After my shock was over I wished I could have thanked him more or do something nice for him and his wife. 

Thank you Nathan from Ohio! I hope you know what a wonderful person you are. 

if you ever lose a water shoe in the ocean just let it go…

[argentus]

Thank you for thanking Nathan from Ohio and so eloquently recounting his saving of your life.   I well understand the "knock you out";  long ago I was a lifeguard at Venice Beach, CA, and we were trained to float the bright orange plastic 'bullet' (called a rescue can) to the victim, and not let them get ahold of you.   Then, tow them parallel to the beach until away from the riptide and tow them in.   I once saved a very large women who tried to pull herself to me by the rescue can rope.   I had to push her away with my feet.   Not a kick.  She was very scared and quite strong.   I had to tell her the same thing.   I said, "if you get ahold of me, you will kill us both.  I will knock you out if you keep pulling yourself to me.  I got you.  I won't let you drown.   Hold on to the bullet.   I got you Ma'am.  I won't let anything bad happen to you."   ..... and she did, and we both lived.   

It's life-changing, isn't it?  Nathan was your guardian angel.   Perhaps not a literal angel...  although, how would you know?  You did the right think, I think, by thanking him here.   Well done!

As to the lost shoe....   I wrote a haiku on ATS once that I think is applicable:

One-footed people
from a wee upstream island
always lose their shoes

Glad you made the trip to the next phase of your life, Quantum.

[Quantum12]

One-footed people
from a wee upstream island
always lose their shoes

I love the above! Thank you for sharing it. 

I used to live near Venice on Speedway. It was in MDR off Speedway and Washington. I loved that area. I really miss the bike path and the oddness of the people.  You know what I mean. You might have seen the man on roller skates playing the electric guitar, or the Venice Beach Clown.

There is something about having that angel at a moment you need it the most. 

You too have taken the angel form. You saved someone and that person never knew you were coming. Knowing you on ATS, reading your deep amazing writing. I know you are a top notch person. I wrote a poem for you on ATS under JJProductions.

Thank you too for you. I wish my time with Nathan and his wife was longer. What else can a person do for someone who saves your life? I was in such shock. I hope he truly knows how saving my life saved my 16 year old life too and a few other people.

He said to me if you don’t stay calm I am going to punch you in the head and knock you out or we both will be in the bottom of the ocean. He did not swim me straight in he pulled me sideways so the riptide would not suck us out. 

Thank you for teaching me something again. 

I know you miss In-N-Out too!

[argentus]

You were much closer to the sand than me.  I lived on Electric Avenue near Westminster. Gangland, at that time -- until it was later gentrified.  I just looked at Googlemaps and where I lived looks so far to the beach, but I would walk down Westminster past the building that always had a side painted as a mural of the opposite side of the road.  I loved that.   

Hey, I was once one of those guys with a backpack holding a battery and a speaker, walking and playing guitar.  I tried it once on roller skates, and that didn't end well.  Would have been a great youtube moment, had it existed then.  

I do.  I do miss In-N-Out.   At that time, I lived almost completely upon falafel and beer.  

I would ride the bike path twice a day to and from Redondo Beach, where I worked.  

Some cultures say that if you save someone's life, you are responsible for them, since you've thwarted the natural progression of the forces.   I don't feel that way.   I think every time you save someone's life, or do good without expectation of compensation, you might whittle away at the bad chits held against you that record your foul deeds.   At least I hope that is so.   

Conundrum:  If I hope for good brownie points to offset the bad ones, is that really without expectation of compensation?

[midicon]

Glad you are still here Quantum! God bless Nathan!

[sahgwa]

That's a hell of a story! Glad you are still with us!
And God Bless Nathan indeed!
Just let them flip flops go. lol

[Quantum12]

Glad you are still here Quantum! God bless Nathan!

Thank you kindly my friend!

[Quantum12]

That's a hell of a story! Glad you are still with us!
And God Bless Nathan indeed!
Just let them flip flops go. lol

Haha! I just ordered a new pair and I will never chase a water shoe again and I am getting a life vest lol! Thank you

[KTemplar]

Having lived through something similar I felt that.

i got caught in an undertow at the beach as a child,everytime I popped up, I noticed everybody that was on the beach was now up on the pavement and completely off the beach and I could hear my mother calling my name.  I tried swimming towards shore and quickly realized that wasn’t happening and out of sheer panic swam sideways and was able to get out.  I had no
prior knowledge how to get out of one.   I’ll never forget it

Happy you made it!

[argentus]

Having lived through something similar I felt that.

Happy you made it!

Happy you made it also.  ;o)