My son and I were on the south pier that day. We saw a man struggling in the channel as he tried to make his way over to us. He had tried to get to the north pier but the current was just too strong and it forced him to where we were.

                As he got closer my son yelled to me; “he’s pulling someone”. We had wondered what was going on over at the north pier, now it was obvious what hadhappened.

            Mark Breen, the young man in the channel, looked to be totally exhausted; and as if he might not make it. He had missed the first set of ladders but was in line for the next set. My son and I positioned ourselves and were able to lift your daughter up and on to the pier the moment he got there.

            I don’t know where he got the strength, but in a flash, Mark was up on the pier and giving your daughter CPR; for which he had been trained.

            As I cradled your daughter’s precious face in my hands my son and I cried out to God to spare her life, and to give Mark the strength and wisdom to know what to do. I continued to pray into your little girl’s ear what I was asking our Heavenly Father to do for her. We so wanted her to live.

             Mark never gave up; either in the water, or on the pier. He told me later, after the Paramedics arrived, that he was to the point though where he thought he was going to have to let her go. His strength was totally gone, and didn’t know how he was going to get her out of the water. But then he said he saw us and it gave him new hope. He said it felt like the weight of the world was gone when we lifted her up.

             It was so sad to hear that Delilah had died, and you have been in our thoughts and prayers throughout this year. We thought that our being on that pier, on that day, during those few short minutes, was God ordained for your daughter’s welfare. But I know now that we were there so Mark didn’t have to go through the rest of his life wishing he had not let go of your daughter’s hand.

.....But yet, I don’t think he would have let go, he had the heart of a hero that day, he would have found a way

The most things I remember about Delilah Is the times she spent at her grandfather's and My house. She loved to spend her weekends and her summers with us. Every morning she would wake up and come out of her room and she would say good morning grandma and give me a big hug. I sure miss those hugs. Her grandfather turned a riding lawn mower into a play toy she loved to have her cousins come over and she would always give them rides on this little lawn mower. They sure had a lot of fun with her.  She always looked forward to her visits with her cousin's. You could not help loving her.  One day I took her to the nursing home where I worked. She said it was sad the way the people were just left there.  She said grandma when I grow up you will never come to a place like this I will take care of you. Now I guess she will have to take care of me from Heaven.  I Love you Delilah with all my heart.