Paul motioned for Rhees to go first, but she was so spent, she couldn’t pull herself up the ladder with all her gear on. “Just a sec,” he said patiently and helped her remove her BC. He handed it up to Mitch, who took it and quickly handed it off to someone else. Paul put her hands back on the ladder. “Hang on.” He dived down just far enough to remove her fins for her, tossing them onto the boat and guiding each foot to the lowest rung on the ladder so she could stand. She still labored to pull herself up. “Mitch. Get her out of the fucking water!” Mitch obeyed and took one of her arms. Christian hopped to his side and grabbed the other and they hoisted Rhees onto the boat. They set her down on the platform at the back of the boat, and she collapsed backward, taking the deepest breath of the freshest air she’d ever breathed. Ulla handed her some water and told her to drink it.
