A close call

Maddy loved the view of the ocean. She loved going to the shore to just watch the waves. Her dad, Stanley, would regularly take her to the beach on weekends just to have a good time. They were so close. In fact, Maddy and her dad were inseparable.

One fateful Saturday morning, Maddy and her dad were getting ready to go to the beach. Her mom, Sandra, had already gone to the supermarket, but she made breakfast ready before she left.

"Dad, hurry up, we need to go" Maddy said, hoping her dad heard her from his bedroom.
"I'm almost done. Make sure you eat your breakfast" her dad replied.
"I'm on it" Maddie said as she rushed her breakfast.

Eventually, they drove off to the beach. There were quite a lot of people at the beach. Maddy and Stanley enjoyed the view of the ocean from afar. The weather was perfect. The sun was low and the temperature normal. Suddenly Maddy turned to her dad.

"Dad, I want to go to the distant shore over there" she said, pointing to the shore.
"The ocean waves are very strong and it's very windy right now. I don't think it's a good idea" her dad said.
"Please dad. I just want to have a better view of the ocean and feel the waves up close. You don't have to worry about anything" Maddy replied.

Stanley thought for a while, she had the cute face that made it difficult for him to say no to her.

"Alright you can go, but please be careful" Stanley said.
"Thanks dad" Maddy said as she ran to the shore in excitement.

Image Source

Stanley watched from a distance as Maddy had fun. However, he was worried because of how violent the ocean waves were. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was his wife.

"Hi darling, how's it going so far? Are you guys having fun?" She asked.
"Yes, we're having fun. Maddy has been excited. I can tell she is having the time of her life" Stanley said.
"Alright then. I just got home. Let me do some chores. Take care" she said.

As Stanley dropped his phone, he looked at where Maddy stood before he picked the call and he could not see Maddy. His heart skipped a beat. He began sweating almost instantly. He was worried.
He quickly ran to the shore. He searched and called her name but he couldn't find her.

Stanley was beyond worried at this point. The ocean waves were so strong.
"What if Maddy was caught in the wave?" He thought to himself.
The thought of this gave him so much worry.

"Somebody please help me. I can't find my daughter" Stanley screamed for those around to hear. People came around to help him search. Some dove into the ocean to see if they would find her underneath. Maddy wasn't great at swimming, and this made the situation worse.

For minutes, they kept shouting Maddy's name but no response. By this time, rescue workers had arrived. They had their boats and progression swimmers with their gears on. There was an extensive search for Maddy. It was getting more windy and the waves were getting even stronger. This further reduced the chances of finding Maddy safe, and everyone knew it.
Stanley was almost at the point of tears. What was he going to tell his wife? He wondered.

Maddy was his little angel. He loved her so much. He couldn't stomach the thought of losing her. The rescue team continued their search for her. With every second that went by, the chances of Maddy's survival grew slimmer.

Suddenly, someone shouted from a distance.
"I've found her! Over here!" he said.
The ocean current had brought her to the surface and she ended up on another side of the shore.

Stanley ran over there as fast as he could. She was unconscious. Her body was soaked. The emergency medical team came and they began CPR on her. It took a while but eventually, Maddy regained consciousness.

Stanley felt so much relief as he hugged his daughter tight. He almost lost her. Tears rolled down his cheek as he felt his daughter's heart beating. He couldn't imagine what would have become of him if he lost Maddy.

When Sandra heard about what happened from Stanley, she was in shock. She began to cry. She couldn't believe that her daughter almost died. She was even more grateful that Maddy was found alive.
Maddy was checked by the doctor and she was okay. There was no damage done.
However, that was the end of beach visits for the family. They were never going to the beach after that incident.