ANATOMY OF A RESCUE PART 2

As planned, the first thing we did after jumping off the sinking Essence was link ourselves with our safety tethers so we wouldn’t be separated. The shock of cold water literally took our breath away.

Then an incredible thing happened: an enormous albatross landed right beside us. Having this big bird sitting not much more than an arm’s length away was amazing. It had a long, hooked beak that looked powerful enough to rip me apart, but its head looked aristocratic and wise, caring and compassionate.

I am a Christian, and it suddenly filled me with confidence that I was exactly where God wanted me to be. From then on it didn’t worry me whether I should live or die: it would be God’s plan for me. I didn’t see the albatross leave, but I don’t think it stayed long.

Despite that sense of spiritual calm, the first minutes in the water were, physically, extremely hard. Breakers were crashing over us and I took in a lot of salt water, with a lot of coughing and spluttering. I knew I had to do better. Making a conscious effort to close my mouth and breathe through my nose, I gradually got my breathing under control and adjusted to the temperature.

We tried huddling together for warmth, but it didn’t work for me. I was being held deeper in the water than I liked and it made it harder to breathe without taking in water. Eventually I excused myself from the huddle and settled into floating on my back with my head into the waves, the PLB stuck in the cleft of