I am eternally grateful for Tom teaching Tommy how to swim. It saved both of our lives one day. We had started walking on a sand bar way back at the left most side of the beach. We followed it a bit beyond the cut. The water never reached higher than my knees. I thought it would be OK to just walk into the beach from that point. I was so very wrong. Within seconds I was in over my head and floundering. I was terrified.
Tommy had a small plastic inflatable ring. He tried to save me but he was still too small. I was going to drown him if I didn't get him to go to shore. I would touch the ring and we'd both go down. At this point I couldn't find the bottom. I think that really terrified me. I've always thought of drowning and not being able to tell where up was.
I finally did the only thing I could think of to save him at least. I gave the ring a might shove and sent him as close to shore as I could. I yelled at him to get help. He did. He got a life guard who thought we were just playing out there. He got me to shore.
I hadn't swallowed much water so after a few hacking coughs I was fine. I was still terrified but I was fine. I thanked him and Tommy and I went home. They told me later that the reason the bar was there was because a storm the night before had moved the sand around to form it.
When I got home I called up the radio station. I wanted that young man to get some recognition for saving an old ladies life. I told the announcer what happened. I was astounded at his next words. He said the young man who had saved me was his sixteen year old son who was a lifeguard there.
We didn't make that but I like it so I took a shot of it.
This is somewhat like the break walls in Galveston but this is here on Lake Erie. We did climb on them at times but they didn't like kids on them. As you can see by the footprints it didn't stop anyone. A lot of guys would walk way out and fish off the sides of it.
Where the red arrow is there is a pipe with a shower head so swimmers can rinse off before going inside at that end to the changing rooms. The small middle section would sell food snacks during summer. I tasted fries with vinegar on them for the first time there. I'd never thought of eating them that way. The last part is the pavilion area for company picnics and events. Some people held wedding in the grassy part on the far side with the reception here at the park.
