Editor,

A huge thank you to the local boaters who fished my husband and me out of the Sound near the Langley Marina on June 2 when our small boat was swamped. Just one false move on slightly choppy seas and we were thrown overboard and left clinging to the gunwales and shouting for help. If not for the man on the sailboat who heard my screams and was able to catch the attention of another boat motoring by, the outcome could have been dire.

There is no way to express the amount of gratitude we feel for Steve and Walter from Greenbank Construction, who immediately came to our aid, got us safely aboard their vessel, towed ours to shore, and helped my husband retrieve our crab pots. They are proof positive that people are good, and that kindness and generosity aren’t qualities that have been lost or forgotten.

Another thing that helped us was that we were both wearing life vests. Of all the boaters I saw set out on the water that morning, those of us wearing life vests were in the minority. Please think of us the next time you go out boating and wear life vests. You can end up in the water in the blink of an eye. It happened to us.

Toni and Gordy Grove

Langley