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‘There! That’s it.’ The mother pointed to the toy. ‘We bought it in the beach shop on the quay.’
‘He was in that?’ Evanna couldn’t quite believe that anyone would have considered such a flimsy toy sufficient protection for a child in open water and her shock must have sounded in her voice because the woman stiffened defensively.
‘He was just playing near the shore. I thought he was fine. It was just for a minute.’ The woman was sobbing again, clutching at Evanna who supported her and glanced towards Fraser with a question in her eyes.
He slipped Logan’s phone into the pocket of his jeans and gave her a thumbs-up.
Evanna smiled her approval and watched as he sprinted across the sand, arms and legs pumping as he went to fetch Logan’s bag. ‘The lifeboat is on its way.’
The baby was red in the face from howling and Evanna glanced towards Kyla. She gave a nod and strode up to the woman.
‘Let me take the baby,’ she offered briskly. ‘One less thing for you to worry about.’
‘I don’t want to let her out of my sight.’
‘Kyla is a nurse at the local practice,’ Evanna said quickly. ‘We both are.’
‘Oh—in that case, I know I’m just upsetting her.’ Struggling with her own sobs, the woman handed the baby over and Kyla expertly tucked the squalling child against her shoulder and walked away.
Evanna calmed the woman as best she could and watched as Logan dived into the waves. He cut through the water with a powerful front crawl, reached the little boat and then made a guess as to where the boy might have fallen.
‘Wow.’ Fraser was standing beside her, Logan’s bag at his feet, his eyes wide with hero-worship as he stared. ‘Dr Mac
Neil must be diving down to look below the surface. He’s a brilliant swimmer, isn’t he, Nurse Duncan? He got a bronze Olympic medal, didn’t he? And he saved that kid two summers ago and it was all over the papers. I’m going to be a lifeguard when I’m older, like he was. And a doctor. He’s so cool.’
Evanna tried to look relaxed but the tension gripped her like a vice. ‘He’s a good swimmer, Fraser,’ she agreed, as much to reassure herself as the little boy and the mother.
The woman was clutching Evanna’s hand. ‘We had a terrible night,’ she whispered. ‘The baby cries all the time and my husband and I are both exhausted so I said I’d bring them both down to the beach for an hour to give him a chance to catch up on some sleep. When Jason asked if he could take the boat in the sea, I didn’t even think it would be dangerous. I imagined he’d just stay by the shore.’
‘It shelves quite deeply here and the currents are strong,’ Fraser said solemnly, and Evanna saw the woman’s face pale. And then noticed something.
‘There. Can you see the lifeboat?’ She lifted a hand and pointed. ‘They’ll be able to help in the search.’
‘But if he’s at the bottom of the ocean …’ The woman choked on the words.
Then Logan’s head bobbed above the water for a few seconds before he disappeared again, this time further out to sea.
Three times his head appeared and then disappeared and on the fourth occasion he came up holding the body of the little boy.
‘He’s got him. Cool.’ Fraser’s voice was triumphant but Evanna saw what the mother immediately saw. That the little boy was limp and lifeless.
‘Spread out your rug,’ Evanna ordered. ‘Dr MacNeil is going to need somewhere to put him. And get all the layers you can find.’
‘It’s August.’ The woman looked at her blankly and Evanna saw the shock in her eyes.
‘It doesn’t make any difference that it’s August. The sea is still freezing and we’re going to need to warm him up. Fraser.’ Evanna looked at the boy. ‘You and your friends clear a spot for the helicopter to land. You know the drill. Everyone to secure everything that moves. Go. Move.’
But she spoke the last few words to the air because Fraser had already sprinted off to do what needed to be done.
Logan strode out of the water, carrying the boy level in his arms. ‘I’m going to try tipping him upside down.’ His expression was grim. ‘He was stuck on the bottom. He must have caught his foot in seaweed. It took me several goes to free him.’
‘No!’ The mother was screaming with horror and another holidaymaker took her to one side and put her arms around her, giving the medical team space to work.
‘Evanna?’ Logan’s voice was sharp as he laid the boy flat on the rug. ‘Did you get my stuff from the car?’
‘Fraser did. It’s all here.’ She flipped open the case. ‘His name is Jason and he’s six years old. Do you want to start CPR?’
‘Not yet.’ Logan felt for a carotid pulse. ‘I’m hoping he’s just bradycardic. Come on, Jason. Wake up, for us. Damn. He’s in respiratory arrest.’
