I have pushed myself very hard on this two hundred forty mile expedition adventure with my small trimaran single person kayak.

On the third day my brain fogs over and I drop into a deep pool of hallucinations that replaces most, but not all, reasoning or decision making ability.

In the late afternoon, I find myself lost and disoriented in the edge of the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico wondering how I got here. Panic pounces on me and in the distance I imagine the Rider of the Pale Horse coming for me. Slowly, I accept my expedition is over and a new challenge has emerged—survival and with luck, rescue.

I regain my composure and a slight amount of reasoning ability.

Sometime later, I realize dark is coming and I have not been eaten by crocs, gators, pythons or bitten by other snakes—only mosquitoes and settle into the idea of living through the night. I am lucid enough to understand hallucinations of my own design have created this challenge and I must strive to hold onto the remaining five percent of reasoning ability or die from being stupid.

I activate my ResQLink+ GPS and the bright beautiful flashing strobe gives me comfort as I turn on the ACR C-light attached to my PFD. When I punch the help button on my tracking device, I drop and lose it in the water. I also activate a hand held SOS signaling device and hold it to reflect off the mangroves.

I have silent people around me—all are hallucinations. When I go to talk or touch them, they crumble into ash and sink into the water.

In the early cloak of night, a hallucination, unlike the others approaches and speaks to me. My confidence is not high it is a real person. I set a trap. When it gets near enough, I will touch it and watch it disappear like all the others.

I startle when it touches me first. I feel its touch. Odd that.

I spring my trap and touch him back. It does not dissolve. In shock, I touch again—it’s a real person.

My rescuers, other boaters in the event, load me in their small boat and maintain contact with the United States Coast Guard and the EMS Everglades Rangers. I am exhausted, yet still able to communicate through my continuing hallucinations as my rescuers care for me enroute to Flamingo where EMS evaluates, then provide transport to a Dade County hospital. My recovery period has given me ample time to reflect on and be thankful for the excellent safety equipment that saved my life.

When on the water I always carry redundant and proper safety equipment and hold close and secure my trusted ResQLink+ Personal Locator Beacon to my constantly worn Personal Flotation Device. Now I know the true worth of my equipment, especially the ResQLink+.