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By: Bull Gator
Chapter 5 in a series about a unique Royal Ranger Outpost.
In our last episode the Royal Rangers get interviewed for the local TV news. Read on to see if Bible prophecy comes true for our young aquanauts..
It was Sunday morning, and all off duty rangers were in chapel, watching a tape from Pastor Dave. He had recorded a large amount of sermons so the guys would always have a fresh message from the Lord. "When all these things come to pass. look up for your redemption draweth nigh." As Pastor Dave spoke these words everyone involuntarily looked up, just at that moment there was a large thump on the hull of the UWL. The chapel also had a large viewing port installed and everyone automatically turned in that direction. What they saw next amazed them; cameras, fishing tackle, a lady's purse and other personal items drifting to the ocean floor below. One feature the UWL had in every room was a panic button. Bob immediately hit the button and called Red team to ready. Red Team consisted of the most experienced divers, some were also EMT certified. Bob feared the worse by the debris still floating by. Less than five minutes later seven divers were seen rising to the surface. In another five minutes, four of them were buddy breathing with four victims. "First aid to the pool!" commanded Bob. The first aid team arrived just as the divers surfaced in the diving pool.
"What happened sir?" asked Bob. He was talking to the apparent father of the four. They were all checked out and then brought to the dining room. There they were given food and drink. Now Bob was trying to find out what exactly had happened. "We were following a school of bait fish, figuring some bigger fish would feed and we'd get lucky" said the man. "Didn't you see our strobe buoys?" asked Bob. "Uh, yes sir, I did but I was so occupied with the fish and I forgot about them, I'm sorry" said the man. "Well, I'm glad that we were here and able to help you" responded Bob. "Me too!" said the daughter. "Hi my name is Marsha, thank you again for saving my family. None of us are very good swimmers." "I'm glad we were able to help, like I said, but there is a problem." "What's that?" asked the father. "There are 14 people on board currently and adding you four that makes 18, while we might have enough food the supply boat isn't due for another 6 days, so you'll have to stay here with us until then. You and your wife will take my cabin and your daughters will take commander Jim's. Richard and I will bunk with the guys in the dorm." "Is there enough room?" asked the mother. "Technically no" said Bob. "But we have a 24 hour watch, so there is always two bunks available. It will be a little inconvenient but we'll make do." "Thank you commander" replied the father. "Oh by the way, my name is Mark Adams, this is my wife Amy and my daughters Marsha and Joanne." Pleased to me you all finally," said Bob as they shook hands all around. "The girls and I would be more that pleased to do the cooking to help earn our keep, if that's ok?" "I don't think that the guys would mind that one bit." said Bob, "but there have to be some rules. First, there's a bathroom between the two cabins, that's for your use, the others are off limits to you ladies As well as the dorm area. The rest of the facility is at your disposal. We have schedules to keep and jobs to do. Please do not distract the boys from their jobs." "Agreed" said Mr. Adams, "we'll do our part, we owe you our lives, its the least we can do. thank you again!" "OK, right down, there's something else we can do for you." reaching for the intercom he called. "Blue team leader to dining room." He flipped the switch again, "Number 7, notify the Coast Guard that the private vessel named....uh" The man said "Our Joy" "Our Joy was swamped and its occupants were rescued and are all safe and accounted for. "Yes sir" came the reply. The Blue Team leader already in his wetsuit arrived in the dining room. The man and his family looked questioning at Bob. "Number 3, take the Blue team out and see what you can recover of these folks belongings, also check out there vessel and see if you can determine what happened, whatever you find bring it here so they can dry out what then need." "Yes Sir" said the boy as he spun on his heel and exited the dining room. Halfway down the hallway you could here him holler, "Blue Team let's go!"
An hour later, the tables in the dining room were strewn with the family's' belongings. The clothing items were take to housekeeping and were being washed and dried. The papers from the mother's purse and from the father's wallet were taken out and spread on cookie sheet and placed in the oven on a very low heat. The rangers also retried some foodstuffs, an ice chest still full of drinks and fruit. These were placed in the reefer with the rest of the food items already on board.
Bob sat in the command chair on the phone, first with the Coast Guard and then with Jim aboard the Stallion. "We've got a full house Jim. I put the mom and dad in my cabin and the two girls are sharing yours," said Bob. Jim started to preach," Let's look at our purpose in Royal Rangers, we're here to serve. You and your guys saved their lives and now you're providing for well being. Would God have you do anything less?, I don't think so!" said Jim. "You're right of course" replied Bob. "The only real problem is that one daughter is a very pretty teenager and I've got 12 teen-aged boys down here, but on the other hand the mother said she and the girls would prepare all the meals and help with the cleaning during their stay." "I'll bet that really made the boys unhappy " laughed Jim.
"This just in!" said the news anchor on the midday news. "Today a small family vessel overturned in the Atlantic Ocean. A family of four were thrown into the water, all their possessions sank to the ocean floor while they desperately tried to stay with their overturned vessel. Lucky for them however the accident occurred near the site of the Royal Ranger UWL; a story we've been covering since day one. Our staff cameraman is onboard the UWL and has made it possible for a live feed from the underwater facility. Richard are you there?" asked the reporter. There was some static, then the Royal Ranger emblem did a watery fade in to clarity and then faded out again in the same manner. The next thing the viewers saw were the words "Live from Royal Rangers Outpost UWL20". Richard came on and started, "Good afternoon, this is Richards Johns from ABC coming to you live aboard the Royal Rangers UWL20. We have a group of 12 royal rangers camped if you will aboard an underwater laboratory somewhere in the Atlantic. Today during chapel services they were visited by 4 new visitors. The visitation was not by choice by any means, but never the less it happened." Motioning the family over Richard continued, This is Mark Adams and his family, his wife Amy and his two daughters Marsha and Joannie.. Mr Adams, what happened this morning?" asked Richard. "Well sir, my family and I were fishing in our boat about 10am, we were following a big school of bait fish waiting for some feeders to begin their run. Finally we were in the middle of a feeding frenzy with a large school of king mackerel. Somehow during my turning the boat we took a large swell on the port side and before we knew it we were in the water. The boat lasted about a minute and then it sank." "Did you all have your life jackets on?" asked Richard. "No sir" replied Mr Adams sheepishly, "we were working the fish so hard that we didn't have time to put on the preservers. Although they were in the locker." "What happened next" asked Richard. "Well sir, we were in the water no more than five minutes, when all the sudden seven scuba divers surfaced around us. The leader explained who he was and then told us he was going to take us aboard the UWL. I want to thank Commander Bob and his team for their expert work. None of us had ever dived before, they calmed us go 50 feet below the surface. We're alive today because of them." The man was starting to choke up as Richard jumped in. "What a story! and here is Commander Bob and the leader of the Red Team." "Commander Bob how do you feel being responsible for saving these people's lives?" asked Richard. Bob turned, looked at the family at his rangers and then said into the camera. "What happened today was a plan by Satan. But our Rangers were up to the challenge, this is what we train for. We practice just his type of situation almost every day. The rangers did exactly as they were trained to do without thought for their own safety. That my friend is what Royal Rangers is all about. We've invited the Adams' to be our guests until our supply boat arrives in about a week." "What a story folks" said Richard "and you heard it live from the scene, this is Richard Johns live aboard the UWL somewhere in the Atlantic signing off, back to you Tim" The exit message was identical to the intro only in reverse.
Bob walked over to Richard and gently poked him in the chest as he said "Hey!, I thought you sent the newsman home? Great job Rich!" "Thanks Bob" said Richard "but with this story it was easy. This place is news everyday and now that we have a live feed we can do a daily broadcast to the station, maybe even do our own news show." As he turned all the rangers were looking at him, "What do you think guys, you game?" The answering cheer was all the answer Richard needed. "Iv'e already talked to Tom and he wants to do a half hour update daily. 'Live from the bottom of the Atlantic'. Think of it you'll have your own series. "I don't know" said Bob. "That all sounds well and good but I'm not so sure that I want to make these guys stars yet." Six days later the supply boat arrived and restocked the UWL's badly depleated food stock. It also bought mail and presents from family and friends for the boys on board. On it's return trip Richard and the Adams family were returning to Florida. Things were finally going to get back to normal...or were they?
Wow! a daring rescue at sea, and saving the lives of four people. What else is in store for the Royal Rangers of Outpost UWL20.
Don't miss Chapter 6 in this great adventure.
See ya next time!