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Alex Cabrero ReportingOne man following the search efforts for a missing couple on Strawberry Reservoir knows exactly what the survivors went through. He's also a survivor. His boat overturned on Strawberry three years ago, but one of his friends never made it out of the water.
Mike Child knows what it's like to be waiting for a miracle. He says that's all you can do when one of your friends is missing underwater and lots of time has passed. Almost as tough is realizing you're alive because you made it out of the water but your friend didn't.
For as many times as Mike Child has played games with his family, he's always happy there's been at least one more game.
Mike Child, Boating Accident Survivor: "The only thing I can think of when I was in the water was to hold on long enough to get home to see my family."
You see, three years ago Child wasn't sure he'd even ever see them again after the boat he was in on Strawberry Reservoir overturned in a storm, dumping him and his two buddies into the freezing water.
Mike Child: "I had to hold on to the boat and pray and pray and pray that we would make it to shore somehow."
One of the three holding on all of a sudden let go and sank. Child, who had a back injury, and his friend were able to get back into the boat after nearly three hours. The wind pushed them back to shore. Their friend's body was found later that day.
Mike Child: "I tried very, very hard to figure out why I was spared, if there was something special I had to do with my life."
Child says the guilt still hits him every now and then, much like he thinks it will the two survivors from Wednesday's boating accident.
Mike Child: "My heart goes out to the individuals and to their families. To their families, please give the individuals who went through this unconditional love."
Child says the survivors will go through a roller-coaster of emotions the next few months, maybe even years. Getting through it is never easy.
