The Ledge and The Abyss: Near Death, Rescue, and The Search for Meaning

A series of unforeseen events leads to the author being trapped in a small, pitch-dark cavern surrounded by a volcanic rock wall with no way out. As the chest-high water laps at him, waves batter him against the volcanic rock, leaving him bloodied and gasping for breath. Above ground, his wife (and co-author) has seen her husband disappear underwater. After no sighting of him for ten minutes, she makes the difficult decision to leave the harsh surf and unsafe rocks to call 911 and hope for a recovery of his body.
This is a story of resilience in the face of long odds. Of ordinary people making the decision to step in to help when there is no hope. A miraculous set of events leads to an odds-defying, daring rescue. The skills of rescuers, US Coast Guard personnel, and healthcare workers combine to remind us of the goodness of people and of our ability to work together when the moment requires it of us.
After the recovery, the incident leads the authors on a search for meaning, striving to understand why this event happened, and pondering what to do about it.