It was just a shelling expedition, gathering shells in the shallow water off Honeymoon Island. Not dangerous at all! The grandmother who had brought the four boys, aged eight to seventeen, watched as they waded near the water’s edge and scooped shells from the sparkling water and filled their net bags.
Suddenly 10-year-old Sean disappeared below the surface, caught in a strong tidal current running about forty yards out.
At once another brother went to the rescue-and another-and another. Soon all four brothers were swept away by the strong current flowing through Hurricane Pass.
Watchers on the shore could see a fishing boat nearby and two jet skis. They shouted to them, begging them to help the boys, but they did not seem to understand the boys’ danger and did nothing to help. Domenic Giunta, a retired school teacher, plunged into the fast-moving water and pulled one boy to safety. Then he dived underwater to lift another boy and hold him up above the rolling waves till another rescuer could reach him.
That boy, too, was saved, though he had swallowed so much water that he had to be hospitalized. Domenic Giunta held the boy’s head above water until someone else reached him and pulled him to shore and to the paramedics. But Domenic? He had held Nicholas above water, but at what a cost to himself! With lungs filling with seawater, he slipped below the waves and disappeared. All four boys were saved, but when Domenic was finally pulled to shore it was too late. All efforts at resuscitation failed. He was dead.
The thankful grandmother said, “He gave his life for my grandsons, and he didn’t know them from anything! Out of the goodness of his heart my grandsons lived and will have a future, and they’ll never forget! My family will never forget!”
But it is only natural to forget! Our minds are simply bombarded with new thoughts-experiences feelings. How can we remember them all? We are only finite, limited, after all-only human.
A friend who knew Domenic well said, “Even if he knew the outcome, Domenic still would have made that decision.” Christ Jesus knew the outcome of His coming into the dark waters of this world. He knew the terrible sacrifice He would have to make. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). Christ died for sinners.
Christ died for us.
CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!
Have you forgotten?