A Florida mother is warning other parents after she and her son drifted out to sea atop an inflatable swan.
The idyllic beach day started out postcard-perfect for Tara Myers and her son, Brennan Saletta.
Myers and her 7-year-old son spend a lot of time on the Gulf of Mexico and decided to get a large inflatable swan for their Oct. 21 trip to Anna Maria Island.
Minutes after launching it in what appeared to be calm waters, the current carried them a mile out to sea, The Islander reported.
"I was not sure if we were going to keep drifting because land just kept getting farther and farther and farther away," Myers told WFLA.
She tried to paddle back but could not overcome the waves. They were adrift for more than an hour, the Islander reported.
"I have never been more scared in my entire life," Myers said.
A West Manatee Fire Rescue boat came to their aid after people on the beach called 911.
"I literally just laid down on that swan float and cried so hard because this could have ended so much worse, and I didn't want (Brennan) to know that I was that scared," Myers told WFLA.
When they got back to shore, they used the jagged edge and sharp point from Brennan’s shark’s tooth necklace to destroy the swan before it was thrown away.
About the Author
