My Aunt and Uncle live in Jersey and they used to have their own speedboat, which they would take me, my mum and dad, and my brother out on went we'd go to visit.
I used to love speeding out to sea in it, and then stopping just short of the beach on the way back to race my brother to shore in a swimming contest. One day while we were out on the boat we spotted a women windsurfer struggling; she couldn't get back to the beach. My dad, one of the funniest people I know, thought that for one day he would be a hero! I think he had visions of himself as superman saving Lois Lane! With a puff of his chest he dived into the water-inches away from the blades-and swam rather un-elegantly to the women's aid. When he got to her he realised that actually there was nothing he could do, and he had only just made it ,so then my Uncle had to rescue two people!
My uncle calmly asked my dad to swim back to the boat and get back in. After looking dejected at having his moment of glory taken away he swam back to the boat. However, when he arrived back he couldn't get back in! After a few minutes of struggling, he eventually managed to heave himself back over the side and received a calm talking to from my uncle explaining that he could have been mangled by jumping off the boat right next to the blades! My uncle then cooly threw a rope to the lady in the water and slowly pulled her back to safety.
Before leaving she thanked my uncle for helping her and gave my dad a look that said 'you're a plonker'. It might be one of those 'had to be there' stories, but it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen; me and mum still laugh about it now. My dad turned from superman to clark kent in a matter of minutes.
Nicola Coles.