I almost died today while trying to save a kid from drowning.

[Eternaldarkness]

It amazes me how I can recover so fast and be sitting here now in the comfort of my own home, watching a movie and playing on the internet as usual.

Today is Sunday, and every sunday I tend to do something to pass time. Usually it is going to the store, or jogging around the neighborhood.

Today I woke up and all of a sudden decided to go to the Beach.

There is a spot out here at the beach where there is a large gap between the stone wall they've builted around the perimeter of this beach. The current at this gap is very strong and will pull anyone out if you swim too close.

It is also a famous spot for young teenagers and adults to jump off these rocks, and try to swim against the current.

Today is the first time ever that I decided to go near this spot.
There was so many others swimming near the gap of the wall. The strong currents pulled them out and as a challenge, they try their best to swim back in. Ofcourse, they weren't all perfect swimmers..to attempt such a dangerous stunt but I believe there is a trick to doing it succesfully, that I, at that time, did not know yet.

There was a kid that I noticed while I was sitting on the stone wall watching the waves. About 10 years old, maybe 12 the most. He swam too close to this spot and was immediately pulled under and out by the strong currents. It looked like a volcano vortex, only just it is from the ocean.

Suddenly I realized he was not a good swimmer. He was struggling to fight his way back against the currents. The more he forced himself, the more he was pulled out and he went under the water. It happened so quickly and so fast. There was no time for him to yell, whenever he tried to do anything, water comes in. But I knew he was in trouble, as I had keep my eyes on him for a while.

....

I jumped in to help him.

I tried to push him back against the current, as we were very close to the wall. I thought, if I can push him forward, he can grab onto the stone walls and the other people can pull him up.

To our luck, a large wave came hitting at us, and the current pulled both of us even further. Another guy like myself jumped in, but as quick as he jumped in, he swim back to the wall, and I assumed..start calling others.

Here I was, stuck with the life of a kid on my hands. The water was deep and the currents was so strong, and we were so far away from the starting point.

All of a sudden, I realize that if I leave him, he'll drown, but if I stay and let him hold onto me, I will drown myself. I was drinking in alot of salt water while trying to keep him above the water. All I had in my mind that if I stopped trying, we'll both go under...

For the first time in my life..death felt so close.

He was screaming, "help me! help me please!" and hearing that, gave me an adrenaline I ever knew existed. I tried my ever best to keep him above the water and try my hardest to swim, but I knew I was very tired.

At this moment, there was like 15 to 20 others that jumped down and help pulled him. Somehow they were able to pull him to the left..and surprisingly, there was no currents at all.
...

After we got up, the others asked me was it my first time to this spot. I said yes. They laughed and said, if we both had not try to swim back to the wall, but to the left of the wall, we would have gotten out already. That's the trick, they said, if you can't fight the currents no longer, swim left and out of the currents.

Duh!

I felt like an idiot. This kid is not from here, so if he doesn't know the secret, you can't blame him. I've lived here for so long and had no idea. I've swam at this beach so many times, but I did not know.

All of a sudden, from feeling like a hero, I felt like an idiot, wasting all my time and energy, and possibly my life trying to help this kid.

Then someone from the group said, "If he didn't help keep the kid above the water, by the time you guys noticed, the kid would have drowned already."

The others stayed and help calm down the kid, but I just had to leave. I was too tired to tread in the water.

So, that sums up my day. I am just glad I didn't die or let that kid die.

 

[Eternaldarkness]

and possibly deserve an advil, my legs and arms are aching like crazy.

yes, I realized that too. I don't go to the beach much, once every 2 or 3 months I supposed. I wonder if that kid learned his lesson yet.

As soon as I got out of the water, I felt so sick. I had to puke out all the water I had in me, actually, I had to force myself to puke everything out. So after I did, I went back and the kid was no longer there.

 

[Sofa-King]

thats awesome
sorry about feeling like an idiot i dont see how you couldve known

 

[Toxxxic]

i suppose you had a great workout from it, no?

 

[bzeus69]

aww Eternal, its EXTREMELY commendable for what you did! Others, such as the ones you mentioned who were there, would have easily scoffed the incident off or made light of it, where as your instincts and good nature forced you to put your life on the line and save that kid.

 

[star-warrior]

You deserve an award for bravery! They should also put up signs about the adverse currents there as a warning, and the kid really ought to have been supervised.

Alls well that ends well, and I'm glad you're back in one piece.

 

[Kigan2006]

You shouldn't feel like an idiot. I think it was heroic. Had you not gone to the beach, it is possible no one would have noticed and instead of reading about what you did we would be reading the sad story of a child who drowned because he didn't know the 'trick' to escaping the current.

You know, there should be well marked signs about it. The kid should also have been supervised. How else do people know 'the trick'?

 

[alley]

That was wonderful---Hope the kids parents recognize how close it was and pay better attention----you're my hero. :thewave::thewave::thewave::thewave:

 

[Marbas]

Wow! You have my deepest respect for your unselfish act of bravery.

 

[Eternaldarkness]

You deserve an award for bravery! They should also put up signs about the adverse currents there as a warning, and the kid really ought to have been supervised.

Alls well that ends well, and I'm glad you're back in one piece.

As I have noticed today, right next to this adverse currents spot is a bridge. There are signs everywhere: "No Jumping, No Climbing, No Diving" on this bridge and yet, everyone there was jumping and diving off. I do find it so weird that there are no signs like "Strong Currents" or any type of blocking at this spot. Even if there was, I doubt the kids will ever obey. The signs were everywhere on the bridge, but they still did what they wanted, and there were so many. I have found out it is a common spot for the middle school and highschool locals teenagers to swim and have fun.

I guess the kid did not know, or he was just copying what everyone else was doing.

 

[PreTTy PeTe]

you're a hero

focus on that part

that kid could be dead now if you didn't do anything
and don't listen to ridicule from idiots

you be a hero

 

[D-Base]

Wow you are A HERO! We are all very proud of you!

I'm glad you are alright

 

[Eternaldarkness]

Congratulations, Eternal, you saved a life!

And, after all, this might not be such a bad way to die. The papers would probably proclaim the next day "Young Man Dies Assisting the Handicapped" or something like that. I could be a hero!...

Wow, you're story is so worse than mines. Atleast in mines, he was only screaming and pushing me down trying to get up. If he was choking me by the neck, I would have left him there to die! hehehe, no, I'm just joking, but if I was being choked like that, even with the will, I will not have the ability to win.



The whole time while struggling, I never had the time to think of anything. It never occurred to me that I will be on the papers the next day. It didn't occurred to me that I would be a hero. I didn't have the time to think that much.

I remember when I was drinking so much water and struggling so hard, all that went through my mind was, strangely, an image of myself dead and floating on the water. That was what I pictured the most. Then I remember telling myself, how much water can I choke on before I start drowning myself.

I remember watching movie scenes from Poseidon and Casino Royale where the characters chokes on the water a few time and then dies stiff...so while I was helping this kid, that went through my mind the most.

Lol, I have always thought about that too. Most of the time, when the topic of "ways to die" comes up, drowning is one of my biggest fear. I've always imagined that if you're lungs are filled up with water... it will hurt so bad. So it must be a painful way to die.

 

[trawler69]

I think what you did was great and you should be proud of yourself. The others might at least have shouted to you to go left or whatever or even jumped in and helped if they knew what to do.

 

[operafan]

My congratulations on your heroic action. The point was that the kid didn't know about swimming to left either and would have likely drowned without your intervention.

You'd be a great person do know because you do not sit on the sideline and wait for someone else to do it.

 

[rareboy]

Yay. You just picked up huge karma points.

 

[Ninja108]

Congrats for risking your own life to save anothers, the world needs more people like you

 

[tomind]

It is incredible what you did and you should be very proud of yourself.

I would have to say give it to Toxic to look at this story the only thing he can post about it is what a great workout you had.

 

[Eternaldarkness]

It is incredible what you did and you should be very proud of yourself.

I would have to say give it to Toxic to look at this story the only thing he can post about it is what a great workout you had.

hehehe, I thought his comment was cute actually. I did laugh a bit to myself when I read that... I did got a very great workout..infact quite a bit too great... but overall it was worth it.

lol

Anyone else here would have done the same... I am just a regular person, like everyone else. I woke up this morning and realize that I felt the same. Nothing has changed. I don't feel heroic in any way... but I do feel proud for what I've done. It makes me smile when reading all the replies on here. Thank you all.

 

[hairycub29]

Anyone else here would have done the same... I am just a regular person, like everyone else. I woke up this morning and realize that I felt the same. Nothing has changed. I don't feel heroic in any way... but I do feel proud for what I've done. It makes me smile when reading all the replies on here. Thank you all. [/QUOTE]

Just wanted to say that i think you did a great job.... you act in the moment and you helped save the poor kid!!
the reality is whether you like it or not is that you are a hero and you might not feel it but im sure the family thinks you are, and i think you are too!!!! ... nothing may have changed for you but you have changed the kid and the people who love them..you might not know his name but you have to remember that he wont forget you!!! and you may never see him again.... its funny we never do these things for the heroic status but knowing you helped save a life keeps ur heart a lil warmer.....


i know what you mean mate about how u feelin im a nurse and i go home some days and ponder what i have just done and been a part of ... i pass peeps in the streets and i look at them and sometimes i think do you know i just did a liver transplant ... funny i know


Well done mate!!!!!