Have you ever had any drowning experiences?

@mermaidivy (15395)
United States
August 3, 2009 1:54pm CST
Do you know how to swim? I do know how to swim. But there was one time, I was swimming with my friend , we were at the edge of still be able to reach th ground and not. We both know how to swim but my friend suddenly had a twisted muscle so she started struggle and grabbed my arms, she struggled really hard so that made me not be able to swim normal then we both started getting drown, the life guard caught it and saved us finally... Since that, I feel like Iwould get drown againso I am not dare to swim over my head unless I have something like raft with me... It is sick because I don't like the fearful feeling... I love swimming so much... I wishIcould be back to normal and not need to be scared :-( So do you guys have any experiences? Are you scard to swim over your head?
5 people like this
17 responses
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
3 Aug 09
Twice when I was younger. Both times in the River, while tubing. Most people I talk to now-a-days, believes tubing means being pulled behind a boat. As kids we did not have that luxury, what we did instead was use the tubes from trucks, and go with the current down the river. Anyways, it happened in two different rivers, going over a little tiny rock water fall. The tube flipped over, and the rush of the water pushed me under, and I could not swim, it was a constant struggle to get up for air. But, when I gave up, and went with the flow, resigned to a watery grave, the water pushed me down to a calmer part of the river and it was easy to resume on. It could have been moments or minutes. It is a very scary feeling indeed. The first time, I told myself I would never tube again...but, then the weekend came and that is what all my brothers and their friends wanted to do, and I did not want to be left behind. So off I went again. The second time happened much the same way, several years later. The big difference is I was by myself. I will still go tubing down the river though. I have to face the fear so that I can grow stronger. Cheers.
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
3 Aug 09
You know what tube seems scary to me is when we sit on it and not paying attention, it might just float to deeper and deeper and you don't know you cannot reach the round anymore...
2 people like this
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
4 Aug 09
Then we swim up miss Ivy. The best way to master a fear is to face it, and over come it. I believe in you, you can do it. This time next year, you will be swimming with the dolphins, I can see it in my minds eye, what a glorious day that will be for you.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Swimming with dolphins I always think about it... it is very cool! I wish I could :-p Thank you! :-)
1 person likes this
@VANILLAREY (1470)
• India
3 Aug 09
I once went to a party in a resort. There was a pool which had neck level water. I was able to stand properly so I thought I could float on the water or try to swim. If I had any trouble I assumed I would just stand again. I also noticed there was a lifeguard nearby. So I tried to float on my back. Instead my head and upper body just sank in the water. My body then turned around and I was facing the bottom of the pool. I thought I was going to drown in this shallow pool. Somehow I managed to get my legs down, my head up and surface above the water. I am never going to do something so stupid again. Lesson learnt: don't learn to swim on your own.
1 person likes this
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
3 Aug 09
That's right, it is very dangerous to swim alone when you don't know how to swim, even so, I like to have company with me when I go swimming.
1 person likes this
@smacksman (6053)
4 Aug 09
I'd love to keep you company, haha!
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
4 Aug 09
When I was younger I can't remember my exact age. I was swimming with my sister and brother. We just recently had passed swimming lessons. My sister though still wasn't so good. She and I were playing around. She was doggy paddling and couldn't swim well. So she was going after something in the water that went to far for her so she jumped on the back of my head. I finally managed to push her off and get out of the pool. It was scary.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Yea... I understand the scary feeling...
@chi2nasrin (1101)
• Malaysia
3 Aug 09
When I was 12 years old, I went to a river with two friends. We even bring some chicken for BBQ. I think we all didn't know how to swim, we just sit or stand in the water, sitting on the big stones. Our feet can actually touch the stones beneath and we make sure to not go to deep water. We were just laughing and encouraging one of us to come join in the water (chest level) because she was so afraid. We said we would hold her hand and would not let go. I think she panicked and started struggling and pulling me and the other. She tried to climbed on my head. Weird thing was, I couldn't feel the stones that I could step on earlier, they just vanished. We were lucky to be rescued by some boys who lived in that village. They were really younger than us but were able to pull us out from the water. If not because of them, I don't think I will be here today. Now, I do know how to swim but I don't have the stamina to swim far or for a long time. I always make sure that I can still stand on feet in the pool or beach whenever I go swimming.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
3 Aug 09
I don't like to swim alone either and like to stay where my foot can reach the ground.
1 person likes this
@kevchua (1004)
• Malaysia
4 Aug 09
When I was a young boy, I went to a public pool. It was 5 feet deep; I lost my balance and submerged underwater. I panicked but managed to push my way to the surface. That scared me like crazy; and from then on, I don't want to even think of bathing in the shallow waters of the beach. No, sir, I'm not going to swim - aqua phobic.
• United States
4 Aug 09
thalassophobia is the actual term is another term that applies which refers to the fear of the sea. your likely both.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I think you have shadow now like I do but I think I have over comeit a little bit and still be able to enjoy swimming at the ocean.
• India
4 Aug 09
Oh yes I have had such an experience once. I was going real fast on a jet ski alone and my brother was riding another one. And both of us were racing each other and then suddenly both of us had to pull over because of another jet ski speeding off right in front of us! My brother pushed the jet ski back skillfully but I pulled mine too hard and I found myself drowning!!! And since I didn't know how to swim, I was going down and down in the ocean!!! Everything appeared green and my heart was beating down real hard. And then I don't remember what had happened. All I knew later when I was awake was that I had dozed off and my brother had come to the rescue. If it wasn't for my dear 30 year old bro I would have been somewhere else right now! Happy mylotting!
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Yea... it is pretty scary...
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Actually I had one that I remember all to well. We were at a local dam (my father and step family). We decided to go swimming and we went on the side that pushes the water out, my step-sister and I. Anyways, I got way in there and it was hard with the water rushing out at you, my step-sister was behind me. For some reason she started to panic and grabbed me. She had a tight hold and I kept going under. I somehow found the strength to push her away and I just floated out with the pressure of the water. She of course did the same. I was so mad and could never figure out why she wasnt smart enough to just float back! However Im not afraid of water or to go over my still. I love water!
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Yes, I do love the water too but need to be very careful swimming in the ocean ;-)
@tjades (3591)
• Jamaica
4 Aug 09
I had two such experiences as a child. I am not a swimmer. I can bearly do my thing and ensure I enjoy myself when I go to the beach. The experiences where frightening but each time I remember them I remember this sense of calm that came over me and my brain telling me to think of a way out. I fell into really deep parts and never reached the bottom. I had to swim my way to the surface and grab on to something to haul myself out. When I go to the beach I try no heroics. I know my limits and I stick to that. I must be able o stand up and find the bottom of the sea waiting for me. Other than that I know I will panick.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Even though I'm little scared but I still enjoy the ocean like very very much! :-)
@sarojInc (570)
• India
4 Aug 09
Hi there .I know swimming .However I had a similar experience of drowning.thanks god I am alive. It happened in the last summer ,we had a vacation on a nearby tourist beach at Goa.Its really hard to express what happened really ,But it all started with a prank. happy mylotting
@daliaj (5674)
• India
4 Aug 09
I have an experience with drowning during the Annual Day celebration of our company. All of the employees of our company gathered at a beach hotel. I got into the swimming pool along with two of my friends who don't know to swim. I was so pround that I know to swim and giving them directions about how to move in pool. They were swimming making sure that they are not going to the center of the pond. By mistake, my friend Sindhu got to the center, she was unable to manage and started drowning. I being the person who knows swimming, went to save her.But, I couldn't help her. I haven't had the energy to pull her out. She in the fear of dying got hold of me and we both started drowning. Luckily, the life saver of the pool saw us, he jumped into the pool and saved us.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
That's kinda like what happened with my friend, she got scared and struggled hard and grabbed me, made me drown as well, because I am not strong enough to save her..
@republic (15)
• China
4 Aug 09
I'm crazy about swimming!I can swim when I was 6 years.And I used to swim over my head,just because I like that feeling.I also had a similar experice like your friend.ButI think it was just an accident,maybe I wasn't warming up enough or too tired! There's no need to be "ONCE BITTEN,TWICE SHY".SO be positive!I hope you could back to be normal soon!GOOD LUCK!
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I'm trying...
@haiershen (1080)
• China
4 Aug 09
i don't know how to swim, i like play games in the river, but in the river it isn't a good place to learn swim, the water is very lower,i try to put my heard in the water for a minuter,but i don't know how to breath,i couldn't bear it, so until now, i also don't know swimming. good luck and have a nice day!
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Playing in the waster is also fun :-)
@lelin1123 (15595)
• Puerto Rico
4 Aug 09
I remember as a little girl at the beach with my family. My dad was standing in the water far away. I went to join him but remember going down in the water and I felt like I was drowing. My family got me out of course before anything drastic happened. The funny thing is my family does not remember this at all. I remember this happening since I was a little girl. For this reason I know this is why I don't know how to swim. Don't get me wrong I love the water the beach but I just wade in the water because of the fear.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I'm suer you can remember it deeply since you thought you were going to be drown... it is a scary feeling...
• Philippines
4 Aug 09
ive been into that before... but that experienced taught me how to swim... striving yourself to stay alive is one of the biggest factor and of course with the full support from the family, friends or your trainer... one thing, if your swimming or in the middle of the sea is to be alert.. you must not be panic or it will take away what u've learned.. i always have muscles cramps in my feet if i swim so instead of be panic.. i put myself in floating position.. backstroke... only my other feet kicking and my hands moving.. if you saw that your still far from the shore.. shout out loud for help and tell them your having cramps so that they are aware of what happen or else they will just thought that your just trying to do some backstroke...
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
Swimming in the middle of the ocean is quite dangerous and scary, I tend not to go over my head, if I swim in the MIDDLE of the sea, I need to put on the life jacket.
@treychi (121)
• Philippines
4 Aug 09
I experienced that when I was like 5 years old or 6. Because of that I am so scared to swim when the water is over my head. I am 21 right now and still I don't dare. It was a family reunion and our clan decides to rent a pool in a resort here in the province. There are 2 big pools. One is for adults and the other was for the kids. Since I was a kid I was a total adventurer. I'm asking my sister to bring me to the adult pool. Because the kiddie pool is totally boring. The water was just under my knees and I can't even float. I have my pink swimming goggles and I am so excited to see what is under the adult pool. Everyone was so busy I took the advantage to sneak in the adult pool. There are 3 stairs until you reach the ground of the pool. I am so excited. I hurriedly go down and then after the 3rd stairs I terrified, I can't step at anything. I'm already under the water and I can't touch anything. I'm struggling under it, looking for someone under the water. (thanks to my goggles I can see under it ^0^) But I can't see anything. Just pure water. While I was struggling under it, there are times that I float at the top and then I fall down under again. Then I saw my cousin (the same age as me that time) at the edge of the adult pool. well maybe she wanted to go to the adult pool so badly too. Saw me and reach my hand. Good thing I was really close to the stairs that time she lift me up. My cousin was really fat that time, i am sure she can lift me then. ^0^ After that I laughed and tell the story to the whole family. I thought I was fine. That I am not scared after what happened. But then the next swimming came and then the next and the next. I realized I'm scared to swim when the water is over my head. It is bad... I'm 5'3 and I can swim at the most is 5 feet swimming pool. Sorry this is quite long. ^0^ happy mylotting~
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
4 Aug 09
I cannot swim over my head too, I feel weird to not be able to feel the ground aft er I got drown once... Thanks for sharing your story :-)
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
3 Aug 09
The closest I've ever come to a near drowning experience was due to the undertow of the ocean trying to pull me down. But I do know how to swim, I've been swimming since I was just a few years old. I'm not afraid of water that is over my head, but I also know that I should never swim alone. Any more most of my swimming time is in a pool, but I've also swam across the river several times when I was younger and also enjoyed swimming in the lake.
@mermaidivy (15395)
• United States
3 Aug 09
Somtimes when the ocean acts crazy, you can feel like they are pulling you or something, that's kinda scary...
1 person likes this
• Canada
4 Aug 09
Firstly I do know how to swim, but I have an irrational fear of the ocean...especially the "octo-fishes". Well maybe it's not so irrational.....when I was 4 years old I climbed out of the kiddie pool into the adult pool which was stupidly built adjacent to the kiddie pool. There wasn't even any boundary, just a drop. Thus I climbed into the adult pool and plunged instantly to the bottom of this relatively shallow pool (1.5-2 meters). Lucky I had managed to swim to the surface to scream for my aunt and take a gulp of air before I fell back into the abyss. I was rescued and did suffer any brain damage. So yeah....happy story.