Galveston Island East Beach
Just after I graduated from High School, I worked for the La Marque Fire Department. Our shifts were 24 hrs on and 48 hrs off. During the two days off, I would make myself available as a volunteer firefighter and as a member of a water rescue team that covered all of Galveston County.
I had purchased a Ford Bronco and fixed it up for Off Road driving so I could access some of the most remote locations. I would often go exploring along the levee that surrounded La Marque, Texas City, and Hitchcock. Back then there was no fencing or restricted areas so I had a blast.
On one fateful day in February, I decided to go explore more of Galveston Island. In those days, the east end was wild and anyone could go anywhere. So off I went. I had installed a soft top and once on the beach, I lowered it down and took off. I was heading toward the South Jetty, cutting across the vast sand flats since the tide was out.
I saw a pool of water and decided I would hit it full speed and slash the water up and out to see if I could go fast enough not to get soaked. If you are not familiar with sand flats that are alternately covered by water a foot or more deep at high tide and then progressively less water as the tide recedes, then let me tell you about eddies and divits.
As water flows in a direction, it causes a steady stream of erosion. Moving sand and smaller object in the direction of flow. An object that either weighs enough or is partially buried and therefore not moving, will cause a disruption in the flow. If the object is low enough, the water will go over it and cause a wave. After the current goes over the object the water then travels downward causing the flow to erode more as it digs a hole behind the object.
In my case, the object turned out to be a tree that had come from Galveston Bay and rolled out onto the sand flats during high tide. As the tide ebbed and started going out, the current went over this tree which stopped. Thus a daily large hole began to dig out on the downstream (ocean) side.
This hole was my target. I was spot on. I hit it going pretty fast. I splashed water out. My Bronco disappeared. With me in it. The hole was larger than I had ever seen on the beach. All that could be seen was the tip of the radio antennae. And my head. It took a minute for it to sink in that I had just emerged my car in salt water while running.
I shook off the shock from the cold water and turned off the engine. It was still running. I unclipped my seat belt and stood up on the seat. I looked around at the completely empty beach. No need to cry over spilt milk – I started walking toward town. This was before cell phones.
I walked, soaking wet, back to the seawall and then headed back toward town till I found a pay phone. Called a tow truck to meet me at the seawall and the exit to Strawberry Park. I waited about an hour and they showed up. I told him my Bronco was on east beach flooded. We drove out along the beach and headed toward the south jetty. Once we were on the salt flat he asked where the car was as he did not see anything.
I pointed and said “Over there”. He looked around and then back at me and said quite angrily “You are paying for a tow even if there isn’t any!” He thought I was pranking him. I gestured to the pool and said stop there. He did and I got out and showed him the radio antenna and the very top edge of the windshield.
The look on his face was enjoyable to watch. He told me I would have to take the cable and hook into the water since I was already wet. I did, hooked onto my front bumper and he pulled me out. Open the doors and let the water drain out. I had installed drain holes in the floorboards and I took out those plugs as well.
He was just getting ready to hook up to tow me back home when I said hang on, I want to try and start it. He laughed and said no way. I tried the key and much to both of our surprise, it started and ran fine. He did not charge me anything and I drove home. I rinsed it off as best I could and then let it dry for a few days. Then I took it and traded it in on a panel van.