The Daring Coast Guard Rescue of the Pendleton Crew by Theresa Mitchell Barbo

Author:Theresa Mitchell Barbo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2013-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

As luck would have it, Bernie thought, there were more wool blankets the Coast Guard had placed inside the survivor’s cabin for a future mission. This was too good to be true! Especially since Jack had already lost a boot and the blanket Granny had given him. Jack had been wearing wool socks, so at least there was something on his feet, but his foot was cold.

Jack told Bernie he had made a pallet of wool blankets on the floor of the cabin. His stomach was getting queasy from the boat bobbing up and down in the waves. Sinbad didn’t look so great either. The yellow lab now lay on his side on the pile of blankets, whimpering every so often, but his eyes were still alert.

Jack had snuggled in beside Sinbad. He thought that even if he wanted to, he probably couldn’t get back in the dory and row to shore; it was too dangerous in the dark. All he could do was wait for Bernie. Scared, Jack worried that Bernie wasn’t coming and that he and Sinbad would have to spend the night alone aboard the 36500, that maybe Bernie and his crew had taken another boat to rescue the Pendleton crew.

Jack had closed his eyes and thrown his arms around Sinbad’s neck. The dog put his head on Jack’s leg, and Jack closed his eyes. At that point Jack, exhausted, must have fallen asleep. But Sinbad made sure he was extra warm.

After Jack had slipped and lost his boot, he told Bernie, he had managed to scamper aboard the 36500. He and Sinbad made their way to the survivors’ cabin. It was unlocked! They dove inside, away from the nor’easter.

What saved Jack’s life, Bernie and his crew realized, was that someone had left the survival compartment unlocked the last time the 36500 was used, and Jack had remembered to try to get in there. Luckily, the boy was alive to tell his story.

It was cold inside the survival cabin, and there was hardly any daylight. But at least Jack and Sinbad were out of the wind. Sinbad’s giant, warm body, the extra blankets stored in the survivors’ compartment, Jack’s wool coat and shelter from the wind, all were on Jack’s side.

As he told his story to Bernie, a tear rolled down Jack’s freckled cheek.

“I’m so sorry, Bernie! Look at the trouble I caused. My mom and dad are going to kill me.”

Turning his face away so he wouldn’t laugh, Bernie tried to be serious: “Don’t worry about it, kid, I’m just glad you’re alive.”

“Hey, Bernie,” Andy called out, “I reached Chatham P-D and left a message that Jack was okay. And better yet, Chatham P-D had just gotten a visit from Jack’s dad, who was at headquarters when I was on the horn with them, so Mr. Nickerson’s going to meet us at the pier in a few minutes to pick up Jack and Sinbad.”

“Leave the dory tied to our stern and we’ll tow it in,” ordered Bernie.

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