Post from Michelle:
After a long day of hiking, Tim and I were looking forward to dinner. At the bank of the river are a number of floating restaurants. It's a relaxing atmosphere to eat while watching boats go by, but this night was anything but peaceful.
We just sat down and were looking at menus when at the far corner of the restaurant, near the kitchen, a woman started screaming hysterically. I thought maybe she burned herself. It took a moment before people reacted; the screaming took everyone by surprise. The woman's young daughter (about 3 or 4 years old) had fallen in the river and was somewhere submerged in the brown, murky water. Once the horror of the situation registered, people began running into the river desperately trying to locate the child. There was no sign of her. As the minutes ticked by, and no body was found I realized it was unlikely the child would be found alive.
During the whole ordeal, the sobbing mother stood in the water, grabbing at the river, the monster who had snatched her child. I stood and helplessly watched. I had not felt this helpless since watching my mother fight her monster, cancer. All I could do was pray that God would spare this little girl's life.
The men in the water decided the child must have floated under the restaurant. They quickly untied the ropes attaching the restaurant to the shore and pushed it deeper into the river. As they lifted and struggled with it, the child emerged. Thankfully, other than looking a little dazed, she seemed ok. It was all so confusing that I am not sure what happened, but she must have been trapped in an air pocket below the restaurant.
The evening had a happy ending and I cried as I watched the mother sob as she was reunited with her daughter. But the memory of the woman's screams will haunt me for a long time.
We just sat down and were looking at menus when at the far corner of the restaurant, near the kitchen, a woman started screaming hysterically. I thought maybe she burned herself. It took a moment before people reacted; the screaming took everyone by surprise. The woman's young daughter (about 3 or 4 years old) had fallen in the river and was somewhere submerged in the brown, murky water. Once the horror of the situation registered, people began running into the river desperately trying to locate the child. There was no sign of her. As the minutes ticked by, and no body was found I realized it was unlikely the child would be found alive.
During the whole ordeal, the sobbing mother stood in the water, grabbing at the river, the monster who had snatched her child. I stood and helplessly watched. I had not felt this helpless since watching my mother fight her monster, cancer. All I could do was pray that God would spare this little girl's life.
The men in the water decided the child must have floated under the restaurant. They quickly untied the ropes attaching the restaurant to the shore and pushed it deeper into the river. As they lifted and struggled with it, the child emerged. Thankfully, other than looking a little dazed, she seemed ok. It was all so confusing that I am not sure what happened, but she must have been trapped in an air pocket below the restaurant.
The evening had a happy ending and I cried as I watched the mother sob as she was reunited with her daughter. But the memory of the woman's screams will haunt me for a long time.