Page 124 of Knockin' Boats
I pulled the line, reeling him toward my boat, and a couple of my passengers helped me get him aboard.
The accident had sobered them all right up.
It was an older guy, maybe in his fifties, and he was shaking hard, most likely in shock.
I retrieved one of the emergency rescue blankets we stored under the seats and threw it over his shoulders. “You’re okay. We’ve got you.”
“M-my w-wife.”
“I think you’re the only one who went into the water. Just stay still and wait for help. Do you hurt anywhere?”
Moving someone after an accident was a risk, but we couldn’t leave the guy in the water with other boat traffic potentially coming through.
“M-my leg…” His face tightened with pain as the shock subsided enough for him to register it. “Broken. B-but Jane…”
The sirens grew louder. “The rescuers are here, okay? We’re going to talk to them. I’ll make sure Jane is safe.”
Darla tapped my shoulder. “I need you on the radio. They’ve got questions about the situation, and I don’t know…”
I nodded. “Just stay and keep him calm. He shouldn’t move.”
“Okay.”
I returned to the front of the boat, grabbing up the radio. “This is Sawyer West. I’m the operator of the cruiser you see at the accident scene. We saw it happen and pulled one person out of the water. He’s in shock, possibly with a broken leg. I’ve got a rescue blanket over him, but he needs medical assistance.”
“All right. Good work. We’re going to send a medic aboard. Just hang tight.”
“I will. I didn’t see anyone else go into the water, but he’s worried about his wife.”
“Understood. We’re assessing the situation on the other boat. We need to board those folks. But we’ll be with you as soon as we can.”
“Got it. I, uh, witnessed the accident. I can make a report, but I’ve got a boat full of freaked out tourists.”
“We’ll let you get them out of here as soon as it’s safe to do so. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.”
I lowered the radio with a shuddering breath.
Accidents happened on the lake. It wasn’t my first time narrowly avoiding one. But this…this was entirely avoidable. I’d gotten a brief look at the DreamBoat operator. I recognized him.
Julian Long.
He’d let a drunken passenger operate his boat and had nearly killed someone as a result.
With shaky fingers, I texted Ash.
Gonna be late. Fucking Julian just did a hit-and-run on a boat. Well, not Julian. No. Because some drunk passenger was driving. Jesus Christ.
My phone rang in my hand instantly. I glanced around, but Darla and another woman were staying with the injured boater. Everyone else was sitting, pale-faced, talking in hushed voices.
We were in a holding pattern until the medics boarded and I was asked for a statement.
I lifted the phone. “Hey.”
“Are you okay?” Ash asked.
In the background I heard Cash and Brooks asking their own questions. Apparently Ash was still at the resort.
“Uh, yeah. They didn’t hit us. Plowed into a little speedboat.”
