drowning - Page:1

I saved someones life today.

It was terrifying...

She was drowning, half way between where I was on a floating raft, and the beach. I could not hear her, but her face, and the motion of sinking and struggling were unmistakable. A friend on the dock and I both called out Help as loud as we could, and dove in at the same time.

When I hit the water, I felt like all of me was awake in a way I have never been before some kind of cellular shift. I swam as fast as I could, pushing hard--but I am sore, and tired, and was despairing that Icould not do better, be faster... finally made it to her, and she did what all drowning people do, wrapped her arms around my neck and tried to sink me with her. Yikes.

It was scary, I was not sure I was strong enough to hold her up, and could not swim all the way back with her, and had no air to scream for help.

Then my friend reached us, and helped hold her on the other side, and then some of my b boy posse realized we needed help and dove in to support us. Got her to a stand of coral that could take some weight while we caught our breathe, and she calmed down. Then swam her into shallower waters, which proved to be not so far after all.

All this happended right close to the beach, fifty people in clear view, and no one realizing she needed help. Damn it people you really can drown in 2 inches of water with an audience too...

I lost a contact lense in the process, as I had to open my eyes under water to se where she was to pull her up. Did not notice until the adrenalin wore off later, and thought to myself, [censored], all that shaking, and now I cant see? Weird. Then I clued in...lol

It was weird going through the shock. I have not really expereinced it in the textbook fashion before. Also the drowning was like a text book drill. I remembered the moves, but the frightening bit was just whether or not I would be able to do them in the context, at that moment, that bit of ocean, that panicking woman. I am afraid that without help, I may not have been able to do it. A full body around your neck while swimming in the ocean is really really heavy. And as you can tell from yesterdays tribe blog, I am tired. Really tired. I almost lost her.

Yet, it was somehow very anticlimatic in the end? We got to shore, she could breathe, spat some water, but obviously okay. I admonished her to never attempt to swim or play in the ocean alone, since she obviously can not swim. Tried later to teach her not to panick and how to float on your back.

She did not even say thankyou, also seemed in shock.Hardly spoke a word, and english was not her language anyways. No one seemed to have even noticed the drowning, or the rescue. Surreal.

Now, I feel terribily alone, and am the only one crying. Just crashing feeling. Vinod came by, and helped with a huge hug. He did not see a thing, other than my face, and knew that after all was done, I was now the one needing some help. Lovely man.

I was really scared.

Forums > Social Discussion > drowning