This is my post for #freewriters 2681 prompt
deep groan hosted by
@mariannewest A few weeks ago I was at a yard sale with my sister and met with an old fishing friend named Lionel. There is a small cut between the north and south prongs of our creek, it is a shallow cut and we always went around Fiddler Crab Island and not through the cut. Lionel would open his engine wide open and run through the cut, he did this every time so we started calling it Lionel's cut.
I warn you to not read this if you have a weak stomach.
Lionel's CutLionel told be about his accident on the river. He was in the south prong of the creek, next to Lionel's cut. He was trolling and his line was going to get into a crab trap, so he did what you should never do. He was going to move the crab trap. He had one hand on the throttle and reached with the other to grab the crab trap, but when he leaned to grab the trap his seat busted loose and with his hand on the throttle it turned it wide open and he lost control and he went overboard.
The boat was now going in a circle wide open and before he could stand up, it was shallow water, the boat came around hit him and the prop cut him across his thigh. He tried to get out of the way before it came around again but failed, it cut him again, but in another place a little higher on his thigh. The third time the boat came around the prop hit him in the hip area and it stalled the motor, it was stuck in him and had him pinned to the bottom of the river. He let out a deep groan and told me he tried to reach the trim and tilt button but needed three inches more to reach it. He said all he could think about was gators and bull sharks with all the blood in the water.
It was a cold windy day and not many boats were out. He said he does not know how long he laid there but finally a boat came by and the people helped get the motor off him and called for help. The people were on vacation here and they will go home with a story how they saved this man's life and a warning to all to wear the safety clip on the motor. They are Lionel's hero and I hope they know it. I am sure he thanked them a thousand times over.
When I saw him he was all healed up and doing good, he told me for now on he will wear the safety clip, I am not sure what it is called but it clips to your belt and the other end clips to the kill switch on the motor and if you fall overboard it will come unclipped from the motor and kill it so it does not come around and cut you up like it did Lionel. Still, do the fishermen wear it, NO, should we YES.
photos are mine
