Surprised by a Swimmer...

I stood waist deep on a sandbar in a calm morning surf facing West fishing with the wind and current. I was casting dead shrimp under a popping cork and had scored a keeper trout and a few big bull whiting. Scanning back to the East making sure there was no fish activity I spotted a guy about 50 yards away swimming up out of no where from roughly the direction of Cedar Key, Florida. .

He staggered up on the sand bar and I asked, "where did you come from?"

Panting from the swim he said, "flipped my kayak."

I asked, "you ok?"

He said, "all good now."

I said, " how long you been swimming?"

He said, "I'll probably need a good nap."

He continued ashore where there were a couple of buddies parked on the sand near the waterline. I'm not sure he had launched from that spot since I had been out early and not noticed them but the sheriff and police soon appeared and checked the swimmer out. I'd guess the buddies reported him missing

After a bit I'm still fishing and the buddies set out in their kayak mounted up on it in a way that brought to mind riding double horseback. Like the swimmer, who was stretched out in the back of the truck for his much needed nap there was not a life jacket in sight.

The swimmer did apologize if he messed up my fishing but I told him it was ok.