Boston, Harbor
July 04, 2018
10:02 p.m.
Racked with pain, he dropped the weight belt and continued to move his usable limbs. On the way to the surface, he took a quick inventory: unusable, his right arm just would not operate with his left. He couldn't feel his right leg. On fire, his right shoulder winced with every stroke. He wondered if the poisons on the bottom of the harbor would kill him before he got to the surface. Disoriented and drowning, he wondered how much further his broken body could take him without oxygen.
What a sight when he finally did surface and saw the FRB bobbing nearby. The rescue swimmer reached him in seconds. He was on his back, with no feeling in his extremities, being towed to the boat when the post 1812 overture fireworks illuminated the skies over the Charles with joyous celebration. He'd never seen such a beautiful sight! His mind flashed back to a time not quite eight months ago when he swam towards another USCG boat after surviving the explosion that breached the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel walls and killed his family. He'd cheated death twice but didn't know whether what was left of his broken body was worth saving.
While the three crewmembers tried to render first aid, Senior Chief Ramsey manned the radio. "This is US Coast Guard Fast Response Boat in Boston harbor with an emergency. I've got an adult male with multiple external injuries from an underwater explosion. Extent of any internal injuries unknown. Victim is stabilized and conscious but has lost a lot of blood. Need an ambulance to transport to the closest trauma center from the cruise port along the South Boston waterfront."
Moving at flank speed, Dan heard the radio crackle with rapid fire responses to the Chief's request and drifted in and out of consciousness. His mind seemed disconnected from his body because he couldn't assess the extent of his injuries. He knew there were several active sites on different parts of his body but could not pinpoint any of the injuries: intense pain in his right shoulder had been immobilized by direct pressure. The crew had been trained in first aid but certainly not addressing mass casualties in a single person. The fireworks seemed to be a distant glow in the western sky as the FRB docked alongside a jetty, and the crew lifted Dan onto a gurney. Two EMTs shoved him into an ambulance which sped off into the night with all its lights flashing.
He awoke in a hospital bed unable to move. An inflatable cast securely fixed his throbbing shoulder, and he raised his head slightly to see a full white plaster cast on his right arm. Returning to the inventory that he'd conducted before surfacing, he concentrated on his right leg to see if he could detect or feel anything. He could not. Turning his head to the left, he spotted Senior Chief Ramsey sitting in a chair snoring.
"Heh, Chief, am I still alive or what?"
The question did not disrupt the pattern of deep snoring. A nurse arrived at his bedside moments later.
"Where am I? What are my injuries? Did I lose anything? When can I talk with the doctor? Has the Senior Chief been here all night?
The nurse expected to be peppered with questions and sternly held up her hand. "You are at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. The doctor is making rounds and should be here within the next twenty minutes, OK?" Though she ended the question with OK, it did not represent a question that needed an answer. Dan would have to be patient. The conversation did however wake the Chief from his slumber.
"Welcome back Lieutenant. How are you feeling?"
"I'm not quite sure. The nurse wouldn't give me any details. I don't remember much after surfacing. What happened?"
"Truth is I really don't know. You were in pretty bad shape when we hauled you aboard and kind of drifting between this world and the next one. We got you over to a landing where you were picked up. I've heard of Nantucket sleigh rides before, but that's the strangest one I've ever witnessed. Jacob wants to know if he'll get his dumbbell back."
Dan touched his thick forearm with his left hand. "Well, it wasn't pretty but it worked. Thanks, Chief. I hope I'll be able to come back aboard to thank the rest of your crew. They saved me last night."
"I'll pass it on. We'd be honored to have you back aboard. I'll try to stop back later in the day to see how you're making out."
"Thanks, I'll look forward to it."