Friends of China Camp

Lucy Ling wasn’t planning on having an adventure at China Camp this past June. But for one harrowing afternoon, life was anything but normal for her and a friend at the park. The two teens learned a big lesson about water safety that day, a lesson that can benefit anyone heading into the water at China Camp—or anywhere in the bay.

Lucy, an 18-year-old Novato native and now at Texas Christian University, says she and her friend Sadie headed to China Camp Village for a day on the water. They planned to head out on their inflatable stand-up paddle boards for a low-key float just off the beach. Both teens had been on SUPs before, and had life-jackets. It was a sunny day, with a breeze ruffling the water’s surface when they shoved off just south of the Village pier.

Lucy quickly noticed that they were getting pushed north, toward the pier. “I thought it was a little weird, but it didn’t really bother me,” says Lucy, who was closer to shore than Sadie. They continued under the pier, toward Rat Rock, the little island just off China Camp Point. At this point Lucy started to get concerned.

“We were heading away from the Village pretty quickly,” she explains. “The wind was really blowing us.” Lucy noticed a small yacht well offshore, and saw that Sadie was drifting out in that direction—fast. “I had to make a decision before things got worse. I got in the water and swam for the island.”

Heading for Rat Rock and getting help fast

A strong swimmer, Lucy says she trusted her ability in the water. “I just kept up my stroke, aiming for the island,” she explains. Even though it was cold and windy, she pushed on, finally making it to Rat Rock. She climbed up on the rocky shoreline, then tried to figure out her next steps. Lucy scanned the water, and saw that Sadie had continued to drift further north, away from the village.

“I didn’t panic,” says Lucy. “I just knew I needed to get help for my friend as fast as I could.”

Lucy decided to get back in the water and swim the narrow stretch between Rat Rock and shore. Luckily, she found some people there on the beach. They lent her their phone, and she called 911. She relayed as much information as she could to the dispatcher, sharing what happened, her location, and where she had last seen Sadie in the water. She then ran up to the entrance to China Camp Village, so that the emergency responders could find her. By this time, she had lost visual sight of Sadie, who Lucy estimates had drifted nearly a mile offshore.

First responders were able to contact the yacht offshore, who had found Sadie drifting out and gotten her onboard. A Coast Guard rescue boat picked up Sadie from the yacht, and got her safely back to shore. The two teens were cold but otherwise fine.

”I called my dad,” says Lucy. Her father, Andy Ling, a businessman and lawyer, is also a longtime volunteer at Friends of China Camp, and knows the park and bay waters well.

“The first thing Lucy said was ‘I have a story to tell you,’” says Andy. ”She said, ‘The good news is that no one died and it didn’t cost me anything,’ meaning the Coast Guard and fire department weren’t going to charge her for the rescue.”

Andy says that at first he was scared by the news, but that his fear quickly changed to admiration when he learned how his daughter had dealt with the emergency. “I was really proud of her,” says Andy.

While there’s no doubt that Lucy’s strong swimming skills and level-headed thinking helped keep the situation from getting worse, she knows that things could have turned out much worse, and that there were lessons to be learned. “I now know I didn’t take the wind as seriously as I should have,” Lucy says.

Overlooking the power of the wind can trip up anyone, notes Friends of China Camp Park Manager Chris Young, who has extensive experience as a kayak guide and instructor. Chris recommends testing the wind direction from shore, just before you head out onto the water.

“Offshore winds, blowing from land toward water, can make it tough to paddle or swim back to shore, so take them into consideration when you set out,” says Chris. “And make sure you have enough energy to paddle yourself back in.” He also says it’s essential to have a certified flotation device for each person on the water.

Strong winds can also kick up waves which can swamp a small watercraft or challenge swimmers. ”If you’re new to paddling or not a strong swimmer, and it’s windy out, hug the shoreline,” advises Chris. “You’d be surprised how fast you can get blown further offshore.”

Lucy notes that she has definitely taken that to heart. ”I won’t make that mistake about the wind again,” she says. “Everything turned out okay, but it’s not something I want to repeat.”

For more on water safety at China Camp, see this article on water-safety smarts.

—by Harriot Manley/FOCC volunteer