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Themes: "Christ the Saviour, God's Ability to Save D.D. What had been a fun summer evening, boating on the Delaware River, suddenly turned into a nightmare. "Do something! Do something! Cried Tom Ventura as he clung to the hull of the capsized cabin cruiser. Tom and Sandy Ventura and their family had been enjoying the ride on his friends' boat. As they made their way up the river toward Philadelphia, all of a sudden, out of the dark night, loomed a 300 foot river barge, with no lights. The giant barge, being pushed by a tugboat, slammed head-on into their boat, knocking it over backwards. Some of the adults and children were thrown out into the water. Sandy, and 3 boys were trapped inside the cabin of the upside down boat. They all had their heads in a 1 foot air pocket, in the prow of the boat. It was all that was keeping them afloat and alive! If there ever was a man who was able to save them, it was Dan Bestwick. Dan is a member of the Dive Rescue Team at the Deepwater Fire Company in New Jersey. He is trained to rescue people in emergencies like this. When he arrived at the scene, with his wet suit and diving gear on, Dan could hear the children screaming for help. Several divers had already tried to reach them, but because the boat was crushed and the current was strong, they couldn't make it in. After two failed attempts, Dan dove under with his flashlight for one last try. As the river's current spun him around, Dan fought to find a passageway to the inside of the boat. What a relief for Sandy and the children, when they saw the beam of his flashlight. As his head broke through the water into the air pocket, they instantly cried out, "we're saved, we're saved!" Dan assured them they would be all right and that he would get them out. The first thing he had to do though, was swim back and let the others know that he had found the way into the boat. But as he went under, he discovered to his horror, that the escape route was blocked. Now he was trapped too. For the next 2 hours, in the darkness of that tiny air pocket, 5 people gasped for their breath and prayed to be rescued. The crew on the outside decided at last to cut a hole in the hull of the boat and hope that they didn't hit a gas line or the head of someone on the inside. There was also the possibility of the air escaping and the hole resealing, suffocating those who were trapped. Very carefully they cut the hole. Then one by one, they pulled the 3 children and Sandy Ventura, out to safety. The last one out was Dan Bestwick, the savior who couldn't save. The Bible says of the Lord Jesus that "He is able to save them." Hebrews 7:25 Trust him today for your soul's salvation.
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Peter Orasuk
