Diving For Treasure

So there I was...gasping for air as I broke the surface of the water with treasure in hand.  The day started with Spencer, a boating friend of mine, asking if Kim and I would go out on his boat with him and his girlfriend to help them hone some of their sailing skills.  The day was beautiful in Noank CT and the sailing lively.  As we returned to the mooring, some hours later,  Spencer prepared to drop sails and turn the engine on for our approach.  I suggested we pick  up the mooring under sail alone as it's good practice for that time when your engine won't start.  I worked with Spencer at the helm and Kim went forward to help said girlfriend grab the mooring line with a boat hook.  As she worked her way around a stay, a metal cable holding the mast up, Kim's bracelet got caught on the stay and popped off her wrist and into the 10 ft deep murky water.  I had bought this bracelet for her in Block Island several years earlier.  The three thin bands of sterling silver made to look like waves with three dolphins riding them would gather compliments whenever she wore it, and she wore it a lot.  The look of horror on her face came from a knowledge that few things that fall overboard are ever found again.  I borrowed a snorkel and dive mask from Spencer and began diving to the bottom over and over again but the poor visibility and constant motion of the boat made it almost impossible to pinpoint where the bracelet would be.  As I got to the end of my energy level I made one more dive and there it was.  It was in the claw of a large Blue Crab and he was running off with it.  I was out of air but knew if I surfaced and came back down, there would be no chance of finding this jewel thief again.  I reached for the bracelet and the crab went into fight mode not wanting to relinquish this shiny object.  Avoiding the free claw I grabbed the bracelet and headed for what my lungs wanted most with the crab holding on until just below the surface of the water where he finally gave up.  Kim started crying when she saw the treasure in my hand and I was what I want to be most of all, her hero.
Later that day we got together with several more friends on another boat for cocktails and as the evening progressed so did the story.  By the time we left that night the crab was 6 ft wide, weighed over 100 lbs and I nearly lost a limb as we did battle for Kim's treasure.