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I almost died today... · 21 November 04
Sounds melodramatic, I know, but it’s true, and I’m just a bit shaken up about it.
I went kayaking this afternoon with a few friends – one guy who’s really experienced and then a couple of others who are about the same level as me. We went to do the most exciting run in the area – it’s a really cool run that drops through the center of the nearby city of Richmond, literally going past all the skyscrapers. There is one class IV rapid, called Hollywood, and a couple of class III rapids. I had flipped and rolled back up in all the class IIIs before, but I was a bit wound up about the class IV, as last time I had flipped over and hadn’t made it back up. Today the water level was higher than before too, so the rapids were a whole lot more serious.
However, we set off and everything was fine – we practiced bracing for a bit, and I went too far but then rolled back up – fantastic. We then played in the first class III rapid; practiced our surfing and ferrying, all good fun, no problems there. After scouting the very scary looking class IV we ran that too. I was last and it was a wild ride. I passed the real danger, braced off a couple of vicious waves coming in from the side, and then I was over… But almost as if it were instinct, I set up and rolled, easy as that – it felt so good! So all that was left was a class III called Pipeline. I had run it twice before and flipped but rolled both times, so I wasn’t too worried – we’d made it through the real danger, after all…
But from the start the rapid didn’t feel right; it was so much bigger and more aggressive than before. Still, I braced and turned and followed the line. Did the complicated S-turn when the side current came in. But then all of a sudden in front of me was the hugest wave I have ever been in. It literally towered over my head! I hit it and went through it and was thrown over before I could do anything. Then I tried to roll, but the water was such a mess… So I tried again, but I didn’t make it again – all my momentum was lost. I was running out of breath and didn’t think I could make it again, so I tried to exit… But it didn’t work… I couldn’t grip the pull cord with my gloves, though I tried several times – oh my god! I kind of ‘sat back’ to think about what to do, I couldn’t get rescued, I was running out of air… Then I leaned forward and felt for the pull cord. With one hand I managed to get hold of it and then thread the fingers of my other hand through. Then I pulled it… but the boat and I were wedged upside down between some rocks and just wouldn’t come out. So I pushed the boat and pushed the rocks and eventually I came out… just gasping and fighting and god I needed that air!
Looking back on it I can’t believe I managed to stay so calm, as the water frothed and the rocks smacked me on all sides. This evening, as the adrenaline wears off, I am slowly discovering all the bruises that are covering my body. Even my head, protected by a helmet, feels like it’s had a few severe blows.
And yet, next week, I will be back there again. Because if I don’t go back soon… I might never?
Addition:
The responses I got with this blog when I first posted it were very moving to me, so I have included them as part of the memory.
RicTresa
I nearly drowned once when I came off an inner tube in some rapids I had no buisness being in, got sucked down to the bottom when the river made a big bend at a rock ledge. Like you, I suddenly got very calm in my thinking, grabbed the rocks and climbed my way to the air. Scared me good and your story just brought that memory back. I’m glad you made it.
Whatimlikewhat
When I was a kid…
I used to like to like to swim in underwater caves. A few of us would try the long ones without any sort of tanks of course…just one breath…
Well one time the slight current had changed to a bit stronger and it wasn’t apparent until i was really out of air! and still had about 50 feet to swim! I was dying for air at this point and even though it wasn’t that far, my muscles just didn’t seem to have the oomph to get me all the way. I kinda went into a dream state at that point (which sounds like your situation) and calmly made my way through to the end of the cave and where the welcome air was!
I talked about it to my friends that day but hadn’t thought about it again until today that it was probably quite a bit more serious than I thought at the time!
I guess as kids, sometimes you just blow off things like that…
~T
lette_applejuice
yup i had a similar experence in water, iv always loved to swim, one sunday we went to a seaside resorty thingy with pools and slids and stuff, the pool i was in seamed calm, i hopped in and it was just to my chest all was well, i swam across the pool rather than the length of it as i was little and knew i probably wouldnt be able for lengths.
all went well was having fun untill i needed a rest, i put my feet down to touch the floor and the floor wasn there!
only then did i realise, unlike normal pools where the shallow end and deep end are split in the midle along the width of the pool, this pool was split down the middle allong the length! so all down one lenght was shallow and a couple of feet beside it all down the other length was deep, and over my lil head and i freaked!!
not only that but i was alone! the lifeguards were reading holiday pamflits! my dad spotted me and yelled at the guards for their utter ignorance, just as dad was about to hop in, a man came up from behind me, and brought me to the shallow side! i dunno where he came from, as i said, i was alone in the pool!
after all that tho, im now a swimm teacher and love it, and i will never leave a child unatended in a pool ever.
ArnieShwartz
lette! That was scary! That happened to me too! And luckily a lifeguard pulled me out. I was flapping my arms up and down, but those nearby thought I was having fun. Thank God for the lifeguard who understood.