After the sharp and tearing pain and the hard fall Buckingham finally finds the clarity to fight back, but his sword already lies uselessly too far away and reaching for anything else proves difficult.

His fingers try to lodge themselves between the cracks, but all the attempt gets him is blood on his hands that makes reaching for his pistol even more of a challenge.

But he succeeds eventually and draws--

--just as his body hits the ocean's surface and the impact knocks the weapon from his hands and too much of the air from his lungs.

Feeling the salty water scraping at his wounds and the sensation burning through his body Buckingham begins to struggle, pulling at the cord.