Grateful

Recently we received the call that we had been praying for. Our son had been found. He was in no danger.

Recreational boaters are accustomed to the protection given us by the Coast Guard and the (Los Angeles County Life Guard Service) “Baywatch.” You might even say that we take their dedication and expertise for granted. To assume less would be degrading of their actual value.

My reference is not so much to the fact that the combined and skillfully coordinated efforts located our “overdue” boater; after all, that’s nothing more than what we require of them. Our real admiration goes more to the tolerance and understanding shown to a distraught wife and most anxious parents who for 14 hours alternated between a marine radio and telephone calls to the Coast Guard. Reflective of what must be their status as humans, (although a week later we still consider them to be gods) they must have been intolerably bugged by the frequency of our calls. Not once was there any hint of impatience or lack of availability of someone to talk to. In fact, they even called us to offer progress reports and encouragement.

Thank God, that in this era of cutbacks, budget limitation and personal mediocrity, there are still people whose best efforts come as routine.

DOUGLAS H. THOMPSON

Rolling Hills Estates