Dinner and a Story

Sweeping views of NYC just outside my apartment

I returned home from work tonight later than usual. This gave Mr. Oh enough time to get dinner together for us - spaghetti topped with sauteed rapini (broccoli rabe), onions and sun-dried cherry tomatoes. This is our usual, especially when I'm working late and he's cooking.

It was just the way I like it - bitter, spicey and satisfying.

As we ate, I recounted the scene I witnessed on my way home. Here it is again for your entertainment.

It was a beautiful night and the sun was starting to set, so I decided to take the boardwalk path from the trains to my apartment building. As I enjoyed the spectacular view of the New York City skyline across the Hudson River, I noticed something in the water. I continued walking until I realized the white thing bobbing in the water was a man!

I stared around to assess the situation. Was he thrown in by someone? Did he swim over from Manhattan? As these thoughts crossed my mind, I glanced around the boardwalk and noticed a rumpled pile of clothes sitting upon a bench.

Could he be out for an evening swim ... in the toxic pool that is the Hudson River?

Like a trainwreck, I walked to the edge for a closer look. He was doing the backstroke and he appeared to be enjoying himself. But, his fun was short-lived.

It was already high tide and as a ferry was making its way into its slip, the water became very rough. So much so that the waves rushed him to the pier, knocking him up against the cement pillars. From my vantage point, I was able to watch him bounce in the water just a few metres down the boardwalk. He was struggling, coughing and swallowing water. He was in distress, but what could I do. There was no way I was going in after him.

Someone with better reactionary skills than I (after being in several rather stressful situation, I've learned I'm just about the worst person to have around in times of distress), notified an officer to check out our swimmer who quickly called his mates to the area.

The swimmer was not doing well. He was coughing harshly, trying to clench to a concrete pillar beneath the boardwalk, but the waves were too rough for him to get a good grasp.

As he continued to be trashed about beneath the pier, a life saver was thrown down to him. He grabbed it and a collected sigh by the surrounding police officers and spectators was heard. That was until our swimmer let go and began to backstroke away from the life-saving device and the people who could help him.

Perhaps suicide mission and not a leisure outing?

Although trying to escape, another large wave rushed our swimmer back towards the cement pillars, leaving him much worse for the wear. He was really struggling and this time started to yell out. An officer who had suited up in diving gear, was lowered to the water to retrieve our daredevil. But somehow, he swam away again!

This only annoyed and angered the crowd. None of us were willing to walk away, but we also didn't want to witness someone die.

Doing all they could, the officers were unsuccessful in several other attempts to rescue the Hudson daredevil. Finally, a ferry - yes, a ferry boat - came into the pier and trapped him. At first he seemed to resist by swimming away from help, but somehow he was convinced to give up his mission and climb up the net the crew let down for him. He climbed up, was shipped to the slip and officers went onboard to retrieve the rebel.

When he was rescued, a small number of spectators clapped. The rest of us jeered, taunted or commented on the need to arrest the fool for wasting tax-payers' money and our time.

I'll keep my eyes on the news to see what happened after the rescue.