I hate when my kids call me from ambulances.
“Hi Mom. I’m okay but I’ve been in an accident and I am in an ambulance”.
Bad connection and all, I heard in the pitch of Zak’s voice that he was only a certain kind of okay. As in, he had all his body parts and could breathe, but something was very wrong.
It was a dark and stormy night. (Really.) Zak and his girlfriend Hope were driving from school to Cape Cod, where they planned to spend spring break building and moving barges for their company, Wellfleet Sea Salt. They lived on the Cape last summer and worked on the business full time; since then they have made the five-hour drive from school many weekends and school breaks as they grow the business. Last week, spring break, was an especially important one for them; they planned to build a third barge, find housing for when they graduate in May and more.
In the off-season when they go to the Cape, they stay at Hope’s parents’ house, which is on a small island. In order to get to the house, they time their journey carefully: the bridge to the island floods at high tide. Last Thursday, they timed their trip from Saratoga to the Cape so they would arrive 50 minutes before the tides came in.
As they headed across the tiny bridge in the pitch black, the winds were driving the rain sideways. Zak had trouble seeing the road: they inched across at 5 miles an hour. And then the road was gone. Gone. The car stalled out. Zak opened the door to give it a push, and his feet hit the water. He got in, slammed the door and called 911. The nose of the car was in the water, and ocean was starting to seep in. The storm was causing tidal surges, and the water was getting deeper.
They stayed on the phone with the dispatcher: the rescue workers were having a hard time getting to them by boat. Zak found a flashlight and left the fog lights on, but outside the ice cold storm water was up to the windows. Inside, the water had reached Zak’s waist; Hope managed to crouch up on the seat to keep her legs somewhat dry. (They also kept her pet rabbit, who was in his carrier, dry.) They couldn’t get out of the car—they’d be stepping into the 38-degree ocean. They waited, trapped, for the rescue workers to get to them.
My boy, his girl and her rabbit were trapped in a car filling with painfully cold stormy ocean water. In the pitch black. I get a sickening flutter of terror and claustrophobia each time I think about it.
After 40 minutes, the rescue boats reached them. They were put in ambulances—Zak and the rabbit in one and Hope in the other—and EMTs brought their cold bodies, which had now been exposed to frigid ocean water for 40 minutes, back to a safe temperature.
Two of the crew of fourteen to seventeen emergency responders also ended up in the hospital. Captain Tom Ferreira and firefighter/paramedic Curtis Gelatt from Wellfleet Fire and Rescue got in the water in order to pull the kids from the car. In order to save Zak, Hope (and the rabbit!) they put themselves in danger.
I am not sure I have the names of everyone who helped save my son Zak, beautiful Hope and her bunny (who may or may not be wonderful: we haven’t met). But here are the names I do have– names of the men and women for whom I feel the kind of profound, worshipful gratitude a mother feels when her son’s life has been saved.
Please take a moment to read the names aloud and know you have spoken of heroes.
From Wellfleet Fire and Rescue:
Chief Richard Pauley, Captian Tom Ferreira, Lieutenant Shawn Clarke, Lieutenant Bill Grozier, Cherie Young, MaryLou Wood, Cutis Gelatt, Paul O’Neil
From Eastham Fire
Ryan VanBuskirk, Captain Albino, Chief Olson, Kyle Morse
Special thanks also to Theresa Townsend and Sergeant Brazile for their help sorting through the mess of the aftermath.
Oh, and that photo of the grilled cheese you saw at the beginning of this story? That is the first thing this Mom feeds her boy when she can feel him breathing and alive right next to her again.
How to Make a Perfect Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The key is cooking both sides of each piece of bread in the warm butter.
1. Melt a generous pat of butter in a small skillet over low heat.
2. Place a slice of whole grain bread in the skillet; when the underside is lightly golden, in about 2 minutes, remove the bread from the pan.
3. Place a second slice of whole grain bread in the skillet and when the underside is lightly golden (about 2 minutes), turn the bread over and top it with three layers of thinly sliced Kerrygold reserve cheddar.
4. Place the first slice of bread, golden buttery side facing down, on top of the cheese and press lightly. Cook until the underside of the sandwich is golden and toasted, then turn the sandwich over. (Before turning the bread over, if you feel there is not enough butter in the pan, remove the sandwich and melt another little pat of butter in the skillet. Return the sandwich to the skillet only once the additional butter is melted.) Press the top lightly with the spatula and again cook until the underside is golden and toasted and the cheese is oozy and melted.
5. Remove from the skillet with a large flat spatula; cut corner to corner to form two triangles.
Please note that I have done my best to list all the heroes who saved the kids’ (and bunny’s) lives on March 7th. If I have missed anyone or misspelled names, please know that it is not for lack of heartfelt appreciation.
Zak and Hope on the Cape last summer
My but you live such an interesting and full life!!!!!
Thanks to the Universe for delivering everyone safe and sound and bravos to the rescuing parties. Hoping they sleep proudly knowing what a great service they provide!
This kind of “interesting” I could do without…
Oh, my goodness gracious me. So moving, terrifying, transcendantly fine. You turned terror around and made something that zoomed right into my heart. Thank you for writing this. It means so much to me to read it. The sandwich is also very nice. How lovely to have everybody home safe and sound. What wonderful amazing kids.
The kids are truly something. I am not only relieved, I am very proud of how they handled all this. And the bunny remained remarkably calm, so kudos to Bunny, too, I suppose.
Thank you for sharing this story. What a scary night for these two beautiful kids. And, the rabbit. Emergency responders are heros who everyday put their life on the line for strangers.
I will be buying salt from Wellfleet Sea Salt. I wish them huge success with their business.
Thanks, Danna, for your good wishes and support!
So scary! Thank God for those heroes, and so happy to read everyone is fine. And by the way, your son is so handsome and his girl is very beautiful! Grilled cheese looks good too. Thanks for this, Marge.
Anne, I am very relieved that you also complimented the grilled cheese on her good looks, ‘cuz she was feeling all left out. She even said, “Not fair! They’re getting all the attention and this is supposed to be about me!”
Wow Marge, can’t even imagine how you felt hearing all this happened to your Zak–motherhood and mother nature at war all at once. Glad your post had a happy ending! I’m sure all who helped felt your positive and grateful energy. Thank you for the grilled cheese recipe. It’s the first time I’ve seen you have to grill all sides of the bread.
Motherhood and mother nature at war. I love that.
I won.
OMG Marge-
I felt a combination of nausea and chills as I was reading your piece. I think I was just identifying with you as a Mom whose children are in trouble and experiencing something so scary.
Thank goodness for those good men and women who came to their rescue.
And nothing like yummy grilled cheese to save the day or evening as the case may be!
Grilled cheese has helped heal many of life’s worst moments…
A monumental collection of mercies, from tiny to enormous. From one mama (and deep believer in grilled cheese–I like a waffle iron, but am intrigued by the two-sides brown bread treatment here) to another, blessings on your family, on the heroes and their families, and on feeding the ones we love. We take it for granted so often, but I bet that 494th grilled cheese of his life was one hell of a sandwich for both of you!
Janet, how did you know it was number 494?
And now I am intrigued by the waffle iron, which makes good sense, but seems like a nuisance to pull out for one sandwich. Unless yours is just always out…
Dear Marge,
What a way for a brother-in-law to be informed of the harrowing experience endured by Zak, Hope…and the bunny. My thoughts of you wringing your hands and feeling so helpless…while watching David try to figure out how to pull out his hair stubble….WOW! Truly happy everyone is safe and sound….and with tummys filled with yummy grilled cheese! Very special thanks and well deserved accolades to the responders who consistantly show us courage and selflessness in times of need. Now…about the car…???
The car is goner than gone; deader than dead. So was zak’s laptop, along with his notebooks for his thesis and other schoolwork.
Dear Marge,
I am shocked and yet relieved to hear what Zak and Hope have overcome. You raised such a quick-thinking boy who took immediate action which no-doubt saved their lives. Of course tremendous credit and thanks goes to the rescuers. Thank God that everyone is okay and it all ended with a warm, gooey grilled cheese sandwich. Hugs all around.
Hi, Marge,
Oh my oh my oh my. Thank God that this story has a happy ending–and one with grilled cheese, served straight from a mother’s heart. What a gut-wrenching experience Zak, Hope and the bunny (in my imagination it’s called “Salty”) lived through. And an equally emotionally draining journey for Zak’s mom to recount. As always, thank you for sharing the most wonderful times in your life, the most sad and the most OMG-I’m-exhaling-now moments. And those heroes–now named, bless each and every one of them for their no-questions-asked actions. Hugs.
Hey Kimberly. I s’pose it is time now to admit that the bunny does, apparently have a name, though it is rarely used. She is often called Bunny, but her real name is Moose. (Hmm, that sounded like a song lyric, didn’t it?)
The experience that Zak and Hope endured was traumatic and horrific. But they showed their true character and resourcefulness, and prevailed against formidable odds. They are both great kids, and made of the right stuff.
I had already read Hope’s account of that traumatic day on Cape Cod, but hearing it from a mother’s perspective gave it an even more frightening spin for this mother!
Terrifying experience for Zak and Hope. It’s good for them, and you, to know that they are so capable when undergoing such a terrifying experience. And the grilled cheese was AMAZING!!!
Grilled cheese is one of the best foods on earth, isn’t it? (I like mine with slices of fresh tomato, too. But not Zak)
Marge:
So happy to know that all are well! This is truly a small world. Fire Chief Richard Pauley is my first cousin – he just started that job and had posted details of his team’s first rescue on Facebook a few days ago!
What a wild small-world connection!!!!
So loved you story and grilled cheese. So relieved that Zak and Hope are
fine and that the bunny lives on. I marvel at how they kept calm, stayed
in the car and called for help. A true lesson in avoiding panic.
Now that I have a direct line to the best salt ever (Well Fleet) I am also
delighted that the company will continue and flourish.
Marge,
I am sending you a BIG warm hug, one mother to another. I have no words, but send all my love. So glad those gorgeous, smart, young entrepreneurs are warm and well. And that Mom is still making a mean grilled cheese. Blue eyestick just around the corner…
Hold on tight to your little guy, Julie, and warn him about crossing low-lying bridges in stormy weather. Nah, forget that. We can’t warn them about life, because then they won’t live it. And if they don’t live their lives, the entire blue eye-stick industry will collapse.
Sorry, all you other readers, to whom this makes no sense. But maybe someday I’ll explain.