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King_of_Hearts
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 Subject: My Story.
I've been looking for a place to put this into words, and this seems like as good a place as any for those who decide to listen. A disclaimer for some, you may or may not find this distressing if you have had a near-death experience in the past. For that's exactly what this is... my story.

Recently, I went on a 4-day trip out to French Island, for a work trip. The weather was intermittently rainy and windy, but we got enough good weather in to do some exploring, and have some fun too.

I've made some good friends through the year, my classmates and I had worked long and hard together, shared laughs and tough times. Only now would I realise what good friends they were... and how I almost lost them.

On the second day, a fishing trip was planned. Those who had brought their fishing gear decided to take a trip to the pier to try and catch some flatheads, which were the only things biting at the time. I had no gear of the sort, but I had brought swimming clothes. The wind was cold, and the sea deceptively calm, but the weather appeared nice. So I decided to go for a swim.

I had been told that the Island did not have much in the way of beaches, as I soon discovered. After several attempts to approach the water via the beach, the shards of broken shells and stone quickly sent me backing off. The smart thing would have been to walk away there and then, but I was determined to try and get a decent swim in. I should have know better... I joined what classmates had come at the end of the pier, fishing away. I would swim in plain sight, so they could keep an eye out. There were signs all around saying that the water was shallow, so I assumed I would be fine.

I walked down the side stairs, which in the tide led straight into the water. That alone should have told me that the tide was in, and the water deep, but I ignored it. Before long I was swimming comfortably around the pier, eyeing the others above as they waved down and smiled.

One of them pointed to a nearby sand back, jutting out about 100m to the left of the pier, and asked to see if I could swim out to it. The waters were calm and inviting, and the distance didn't seem too far to swim, so I accepted.

How I wish I hadn't.

After swimming for a few minutes, the cold started to sink in. My arms and legs started to grow weary, and my breathing began to grow faster.

The tide started next. It appeared out of nowhere, waves starting to smash against my head as the current carried me with it, helpless to fight against it.

I looked out to the sand bank, which was still a great distance out. Nervous at my sudden tiredness, I turned to swim back to the safety of the pier... Only to realise that I had been carried almost 50m away from the pier.

I started to swim back, but the current swept me away from the pier. I turned around towards the sand bank, but again I was fighting against the tide, and my tiring limbs had no hope of fighting off the waves. So I started to tread water, trying to think of what I could do. I started to take on mouthfuls of water, and I realised that I wasn't going to be able to keep it up for too long. Panic was sinking in.

I turned to the pier, where the others had gathered to watch me. I shouted out to them, but they simply waved and gave me a thumbs up, thinking I was alright. I tried to wave, but quickly gave up as I struggled to maintain balance. They couldn't hear anything I said, and I couldn't hear them.

I started to wonder, as fear took hold, if this was it. Am I going to die? Will it end like this? Trying to go for an afternoon swim, on a school holiday, and I end up drowning over something as stupid as this?

At last, over the crash of the waves, I hear someone ask if I need help. I scream at the top of my lungs, Yes. They spring straight into action. One hops on the phone for help, one dashes off to fetch help, another strips off his clothes and heads straight for the life preserver. Hooking it under his arm, he dives into the sea and starts to swim out to me.

In the time it takes him to reach me, I go under, once at first, then again. People say that when you have a near-death experience, your life flashes before your eyes, like an old movie clip. Others claim that they see a light against the darkness, as if through a tunnel, beckoning them. Still others speak of a sense of peace, like being wrapped up in a cocoon of water that is the ocean.

I experienced none of this. No sense of peace, no solace, no flashes of life. I saw only terror as I watched myself struggling against the seemingly, helplessness against the force of the ocean as my death approached at its hands.

I resurface, greeted by the joyous sight of the life preserver, and a head of bushy hair as my friend reaches out to me. I grab his hand, hoisting myself onto the preserver, and we both struggled against the current until we were safely back on the pier coughing up seawater.

To this day I still can't think of those minutes without shaking, knowing that I put my friend and myself in great peril. All the people I would never get a chance to say goodbye to. All the things and dreams I'd never get to do, people I'd never meet. All because of one reckless, foolhardy choice. It still brings tears to my eyes.


Let this be a lesson to you all, that you should always take things into consideration before you try something risky. Never, ever put someone else's life at risk. Life is precious, both yours and that of others around you. It is precious, and should be treated with the care and respect it deserves, before it is taken from us. You never know when it's going to be taken, so enjoy it while you can.
Time Posted: October 27 2013 09:17 am EDT
Last updated: November 9 2013 05:21 am EST


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