River Rat

Laurie has a community worker who takes her to the Boys' and Girls' Club and to the park.  Laurie is typically content to just play on the playground at the local parks.  Then one day she decided that she wanted to take a walk.  They walked all around, and then they started skirting the river from up high.  Her community worker did not know that there were trails down to the river (she only knew of the boat launch).  Well...Laurie found a path...

So I get this call from Laurie's community worker who has taken Laurie on an outing.  I could hear the panic in her voice even before she said to me, "Laurie has kicked off her socks and shoes, and is trying to go into the river.  I can't hold her back much longer."  Ready.  Set.  Adrenaline rush!

I barked at Annie to go and get the hubs, and then we took off.  We arrived at this park that runs along the Susquehanna River.  It's beautiful...normally.  On that day though, it was an ugly beast trying to take my baby.

We drove all over the park, and could not find them.  We parked near the boat launch, and got out of the car to try to find them that way.  While I walked along the top of the bank, the hubs and Annie hiked along the bank until the hubs sank in mud, so they came up and walked along the grass lining the riverbank, trying to see Laurie and her community worker.

Then a really panicked call came, because Laurie had gotten into the river and her worker had gotten stuck in the mud going in after her, and could no longer reach her.  Annie kept saying over and over, "Aren't you glad she learned how to swim last summer?"  Yes, Annie.  Yes.

Finally, the hubs spotted them about third of a mile from the boat launch.  Laurie was chest-deep in the river, but wasn't really going anywhere.  The hubs ended up going into the water to get her, and was able to push Laurie out to where Annie and Laurie's community worker were waiting to catch her.  However, he then became stuck himself, but managed to pry himself out after a bit.  While I ran (yes, RAN) to get the car, they managed to get Laurie up to the top of the bank.  Both she and the hubs were a complete mess, covered with mud from head to toe.  Her worker was muddy as well, and Annie was a little affected.  Other than the mud, Laurie was no worse for wear.  While I managed to remain calm at the time, I still have nightmares.

Looking back, the only thing we did "wrong" was not call 911.  I was going to do so, but the hubs had my phone because he was trying to keep her community worker talking while he looked for the two of them.  911 is on my speed dial now...

So this is one of those situations I've always dreaded.  The one where Laurie has decided to explore the world on her own, without regard to her own safety and well-being.  The one where the exploration leads to the river, and she decides that it's a great day for a swim in that icky, murky water.  The one where I'm nowhere near her to prevent such things from happening.  It is precisely this potential life threatening situation, which became stark reality, that makes me the über-control freak that I am.

I have always looked at the big picture before we have gone ANYWHERE.  When I do so, I begin to think in flowcharts (If we go HERE, then THIS might happen.  If THIS happens, then THAT will have to happen. And so on...), and in terms of the minutiae of the minor details that go along with anything we do with Laurie.  It is the reason that I don't relax, that my mind is constantly racing.  It is the reason that I have a hard time with simply "going with the flow" (I tend to overthink everything).  It is the reason I'm not as spontaneous as I would like to be.  It is also the reason that both girls are usually safe and happy, and that is far more important to me than anything else.