April 21, 1961 — A Day That Shelter Island Will Never Forget

When I got downstairs the next morning, Dad had already left. I was told he had to go in early that day to get the boat ready to go out on the water. That day went by just like any other day. My sister and brother went to school, and I was home playing with my toys. Then it was time to go pick up my brother and sister from school. Dad was not going to be home at his normal time that day from work. So we went home, and after awhile, Mom started dinner. She told us to go play since dinner would be a little later than normal.

Mom didn’t seem like herself, or so I was told. She said, “I don’t know why, but your dad isn’t home yet, and he hasn’t called.” And there was a storm, a nor’easter. We never ate dinner without our dad before, but Mom said, “It’s getting late. We better eat.” So we had our dinner, and then she sent us off to play before we had to get ready for bed.

Now it was time for bed, and Dad wasn’t home yet. Mom was really worried, but she told us it was most likely because it was windy and that would make it take more time to get back to the dock. So we went up to our rooms, and she put us to bed. Mom had been calling Dad’s boss’s wife to ask if she knew why they had not returned yet. But Mrs. Bowditch had not heard anything. She told my mom that as soon as she knew anything, she would call her.

Mrs. Bowditch called the police to see if they could find anything out for her. When Hap got back to the dock, the police had just arrived, and Hap told the police officer that Earl didn’t make it. He went under the water, and they could not get to him in time. Everyone stopped what they were doing because they couldn’t believe Earl was really gone. Hap told the police that the water had become really rough, and that’s when Earl lost his balance and went into the cold water.

Hap called his wife. There was an accident on the barge. It was taking on water, and Earl fell overboard. Scratchy tried to get to him, but Earl went under fast. Scratchy dove down trying to find him, but his boots were filling with water and pulling him under as well. He got his boots off to save himself, but Earl was gone. The water was freezing cold. Hap maneuvered the boat around to pull Scratchy out of the water. They were taking him to the hospital for possible frostbite. Some of the islanders heard the distress call Hap put on the radio. Before he left to bring Scratchy in for help, the dock was full of boats, and they were leaving the dock to help search for Earl. Hap told his wife that he was going to go see Dot and tell her about Earl.

So he pulled out from the marina with a police officer, heading to my house. It was starting to get late, but my mom knew that they had a big job to do, and Dad wouldn’t be getting home at his usual time. Then she heard a car, but when she got to the door, she saw the police car and Hap’s truck pull up. Mom just stood there waiting for them to get to the door. She opened the door, and the two men came into the house. She looked at Hap and knew something was wrong, and then they told her what happened.

“Oh my God, that can’t be! He lived past what the doctors said, and to go this way? No! What do I tell the children? How do I tell them their dad is gone?” There was no easy answer to this question. Hap said to her, “You will know the right thing to do, how to tell them. I know you will.” My mom looked outside and saw cars pulling up to the house. That’s one thing about the island. News about the accident spread around the island, and everyone came to be with my mom. Cars arrived until the yard was full. It was my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends of the family.

At the hospital, Scratchy’s body temperature was very low. They did not know if he would make it through the night. But the next morning, he knew where he was and also remembered what had happened. The first thing he said was, “How is Dot? How is she doing?” His family was at his side and reassured him that she was with her family and friends and being closely monitored by the doctor. Then he asked if they had found Earl yet. They told him that they were still looking for him and would continue as long as they could. They informed him that everyone with a boat was out there looking for him.

This is where the island was, and still is, an amazing place. When they called the switchboard for the ambulance, the news spread like wildfire all around the island. The operators at the switchboard called everyone in our family, telling them that Dot needed them. My home wasn’t very big, and I was told there were people outside on the porch, in the kitchen, and living room. The house was full. The town doctor also came to see my mom; he gave her a sedative and told her to continue taking them over the next few weeks as needed to help her through this difficult time. Mom took one of the pills and thanked the doctor for his help.