After getting their maps for the areas they were going to search, Nancy and Ned went back to the airport. Nancy taxied the plane down the runway and took off.

Nancy and Ned kept a close eye on the water below them as they searched. Nancy kept in constant contact with the boat Joe was on. Neither of them were having any luck in their search.

By midday, Nancy was getting frustrated. Her thoughts began to shift to her father. She couldn’t believe he was dead. He had been missing for almost four days and there was no sign of him. She wondered if he was alive and where he was. She wondered if he survived the storm and if he didn’t, would it be worth it to continue to search for him.

"Nancy," Ned said breaking into her thoughts.

"What?" Nancy looked at Ned.

"Let’s go west." Ned looked at the map on his lap. "There’s something over there in the distance."

"All right," Nancy said.

As Nancy flew the plane, Ned said, "I think we’re going to find them."

Nancy kept quiet. She couldn’t argue or even agree with Ned about this. There was something inside her that figured they weren’t going to find them. Nancy pulled her sunglasses over her eyes so Ned wouldn’t see her blinking back tears. She didn’t want to give up, but they weren’t having any luck and didn’t think it was right to keep hoping for the impossible. She wondered if she could go on without her father. She was to marry Ned in less than a year, and her father was to walk her down the aisle. She wasn’t sure she could go through the wedding without him there.

"JH calling Whiskey Papa Monkey, come in," the radio crackled.

Nancy picked up the microphone and tried to steady her voice. "Whiskey Papa Monkey. Come in JH."

"Have you had any luck?" Joe asked.

"Nothing, Joe. There’s nothing out here."

"Wait a minute," Ned said.

"Hold on, Joe. Ned might have spotted something."

"I’m waiting."

Nancy looked at Ned and saw him focusing on the water below with a pair of binoculars. Nancy asked, "Ned, what do you see?"

"Circle around," Ned said. "I think there’s a boat here."

As Nancy circled the plane and brought it a little closer to the water, she continued to glance at the water hoping to see what caught Ned’s attention.

"It’s definitely a boat," Ned said excitedly a moment later. "There’s about twenty people on board."

"Joe, we found a boat with about twenty people on board," Nancy said over the radio.

"Give us the coordinates," Joe said and Nancy gave them to him. A moment later, Joe said, "We’ll be there in about 10 minutes. Keep circling the boat until we get there."

"Got it," Nancy said. "Out."

Nancy put the microphone back on the radio and glanced out the window. She asked, "Can you recognize anyone?"

"No," Ned said. "We’re too far away, but they do see us."

Nancy continued to circle until the Coast Guard cutter pulled up alongside the boat and everyone was on the cutter. She glanced at the fuel gauge and realized they were running low on fuel.

Nancy said, "We need to head back to the airport. We’re running low on fuel."

"All right," Ned said. "Let’s go."

Nancy turned the plane so they were heading back to land. They sat in silence. Nancy knew her father was gone. Something inside her told her she wasn’t ever going to see him again.

"Ned," Nancy began trying to keep her voice steady. "I don’t think..."

"JH calling Whiskey Papa Monkey, come in Whiskey Papa Monkey."

"This is Whiskey Papa Monkey. Go ahead JH," Nancy said.

"Good job locating the boat," Joe said.

"No problem," Nancy said. "We’re heading back. We’re running low on fuel."

"Let’s meet up at the hospital."

"All right."

"Nancy?"

"Yeah, Joe?"

"Hi, sweetheart," a deep voice said over the radio. Nancy gripped the control tightly with her left hand. That voice was so familiar to her. Nancy struggled to hang onto her voice.

"Dad? Is that you?"

"Sure is," Carson said. "I knew you’d find us."

"Oh, Dad."

"Fly safe," Carson said. "I’ll see you at the hospital."

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too. Out." The radio was silent.

Ned reached over and took the microphone out of Nancy’s hand. He put it on the radio and took hold of Nancy’s right hand. He gave her hand a squeeze. Ned said, "I told you we’d find him."

"You’re right," Nancy said with tears streaming down her face. "I’m so glad he’s alive."