The Legend of Crystal Cove

I tell you the story just as it was told to me over 50 years ago. It was a beautiful day at crystal cove, although it was not called crystal cove at the time, they had just put in the new jetties to protect the cove from filling with sand. The most exciting part of the whole project is it allowed you to fish in the deep water without a boat. It was Father’s Day and John could think of no better way to spend the day but fishing with his two favorite girls.

This beautiful day would take a tragic turn when Crystal and John saw Anna falling into the water. The signs everywhere warned of the dangerous currents. Their reactions were simultaneous although different. Crystal ran toward the water, and John grabbed the tethered life ring and threw it in anna’s direction. The ring and Crystal hit the water at the same time. The gasp from the crowd filled John’s heart and mind as he saw Anna grab the ring. He continually yelled hold on as he pulled his five-year-old daughter from the rushing tide. John had read about the dangerous currents this planted a predetermined plan for dealing with the incident. He thought was to carry a tethered life ring to aid others who may fall in. Never, did he imagine he would pull his only daughter to safety.

Everyone rushed him as he embraced his daughter, everyone but Crystal. Where was crystal? It was then his mind registered she had dived into the water. In his mind’s eye, he sees her bright yellow dress sailing through the air and slipping beneath the water. In the commotion, no one realized she never came up.

Days of dredging turned up nothing. From that day until this one the jetties seemed to take on an eerie feeling with each passing day. This is when the cove became known as crystal cove. John and Anna would never return to the jetties after months of searching. Strangely, every morning about the time John pulled Anna from the water a fog would roll in without fail. It's time to let go thought John.

“I can’t continue to put my daughter through this he told the rescuer. Thank you for indulging us this long.”

It was Father’s Day the following summer a little girl drowns. Her brother swore something reached out and grabbed her. Others thought he pushed her and was trying to cover up his own guilt. That evening the fog rolled in so thick the rescuers could not continue it stayed for days. She later washed ashore. There appeared to be the markings of branches around the left ankle. The coroner dismissed the marks thinking maybe she tripped on a branch into the water and the entangled leg with the water currents left the impressions.

The next year another little girl drowns when they dredged the body up there were makes around the wrist as though caught in a branch. The fog continued to roll in every morning there were caution signs of the dangerous currents and sudden fog, but this did not stop the fisherman and their families from showing up.

The third-year a little girl runs out of the fog about the age of three, crying!

“The lady wants to take me in the water.”

“What lady?” Her father says.

“The stick lady in the yellow dress.” Says his daughter.

Frantic he tries to find the lady, but he sees no one. Just before he gives up, he hears a loud cry further out on the jetty. Determined he walks in that direction making sure no one passes him on either side. The closer he comes to the frantic screaming the more his heart clenches in his chest.

“My daughter fell into the water” the mom cries when he approaches.

“Did someone push her”

“No, I saw her going in headfirst and there was no one else.” She proclaims through her tears.

He continues to walk down the jetty no sign of the little girl or the so-called stick lady. When he reaches the end of the jetty the little girl is lying lifeless on the rocks. Did a wave deposit the child? Or did the perpetrator leave her there? Quickly, he grabs her and tries CPR. After several minutes there is still no breath. He picks up the lifeless body and to carry her to her mom. Strangely he noticed marks around the wrist of the little girl.

The authorities have arrived when he returns. The mom explains He arrived after the little girl had fallen into the water and walked down the jetty to see if he could see her. Bob, a Houston detective could not get his own daughter’s words out of his mind and the strange markings on the wrist. He told the authorities about his daughter and how he walked the entire jetty looking for this “stick woman” but he saw no one in yellow. The authorities assured him they would check it out. There was nothing more he could do but rejoin his own family.

Tears welled in his eyes when he laid eyes on Addy the light of his life. What would he have done if that was her little body he carried from the water? He could not even tell anyone what had happened for the sense of relief he was feeling. He just scooped up her smiling face and embraced her warm soft cuddly little form.

“Daddy did you find the stick lady”

Mom Laughed “yes she has been telling us all about this stick lady and how she thought her name was Anna, but she argued and told her name was Addy”

I threw my rock right at her head and she let go of me so I ran to you Dad! Said Addy

Then Bob saw the marks on Addy’s wrist like she had got tangled in a branch The same marks on the little girl’s wrist he had just given CPR!!!!!

I was only three when this happened. I was thirty-three when my dad told me the story of the day my mom died. he explained the scare on my arm came from a deep cut that same day. He begged me not to take my daughter fishing where I lost my mom. I thought dad was being silly and decide to share the last good day I had with mom with my daughter. I saw the stick lady coming from the fog nothing left of her but bones. The bones were the sticks the children spoke of….. I scooped my little girl up screaming I ran to the car and locked the door. It may have landed me in this asylum, but she was safe!

I am eighty-three now and my time is coming to an end but with my last breath I tell you “if you have a little girl DO NOT TAKE HER FISHING AT CRYSTAL COVE!!!!!!”