Chapter 1: The Incident

The experience I had yesterday was not intended to generate clicks for a Medium article. On Father’s Day, I ventured out in a kayak without a life jacket, which was my first major mistake. This taught me a crucial lesson: never enter the water without proper safety gear. The water appeared calm, and I had no inkling that my own actions would lead to tipping over. While attempting to stabilize myself by digging my paddle into the water, I inadvertently leaned too far, causing the kayak to flip.

At that moment, my struggle for survival commenced. I was already fatigued from swimming and inflating a paddle board earlier. At 40 years old and weighing 200 pounds, buoyancy played a role in my situation, likely aiding me more than hindering me.

With approximately half a mile to swim to the shore, I clung to my kayak while trying to reach safety. I was unsure if I was swimming against a current, but it felt as though my progress was painfully slow. Time seemed to stretch as I fought to stay afloat, gasping for air at times. My body was filled with junk food consumed during a family gathering prior to our lake outing, and my upper body felt like it was on fire. Resting felt futile, as I needed to maintain my grip on the kayak to avoid sinking.

In this manmade lake, the depths increased quickly, and I couldn’t touch the bottom until I was almost at the shore. During most of my swim, a cord from the kayak was wrapped around one of my legs. I had also worn swim shoes designed to protect my feet from rocks, but they hindered my ability to swim efficiently. Eventually, I discarded them onto the kayak. I didn’t try to board the kayak again, fearing it would waste energy I could ill afford.

As I approached the shore, a grim realization settled in: I might not make it. Exhaustion washed over me as I surveyed the distance left to cover. It felt as though I was stagnating in my efforts. You know that feeling when you’re running hard, and your body screams for you to stop? I was nearing that limit. The core issue was managing my energy—my reserves were depleting far too quickly.

One of the most frightening thoughts I encountered was how easy it would have been to surrender, to simply let myself sink beneath the surface. I was incredibly thirsty and even contemplated drinking the lake’s water. At various points, I shouted for help, spotting people on the shoreline, including my parents, who merely stared as I struggled to reach them. It seemed obvious to me that a person in a kayak without a life jacket, floundering in the water, would be in dire need of assistance. Yet, despite the presence of at least six adults, no one intervened.

Once I reached the shore, utterly spent, not a single person approached me to check if I was okay or acknowledged the ordeal I had just experienced. Perhaps they were oblivious, engrossed in their own lives. My frustration was directed at my parents, who could have retrieved a life jacket and paddled out to help.

Hard Lessons Learned:

1. Self-Reliance in Crisis: If you find yourself in a perilous situation, remember that your survival depends primarily on your own actions. While people may come to mourn your loss, it’s your responsibility to ensure you don’t become a casualty.
2. Lack of Preparedness: Most individuals are ill-equipped to handle emergencies. A surprising number of people fail to assess situations thoroughly, and many are not fit enough to assist effectively. Often, individuals prefer to avoid involvement altogether.
3. Fitness as Life Insurance: I still engage in exercise, though not as rigorously as I should. I walk, take the stairs, and perform bodyweight workouts. However, it was barely sufficient to get me to shore. Your physical fitness ultimately determines your survival.
4. Recreation Wisely: I should have worn a life jacket and stayed closer to the shore. The calm conditions led me to underestimate the risks, and I lacked the training to right a capsized kayak effectively.
5. The Swiftness of Death: I understood how quickly things could have gone wrong had I gone under. There was no time for reflection; my sole focus was reaching the shore. I felt a sense of disappointment in how challenging it was to push myself. I had expected an adrenaline rush to propel me forward, but my lack of fitness rendered that energy ineffective. The temptation to give in to despair was overwhelming.
6. The Value of Cardio: It’s essential to understand that endurance and cardiovascular fitness are crucial in life-or-death scenarios. While strength is valuable, it’s often more about the ability to survive and return to safety.
7. The Absurdity of Life: As I neared the shore, I couldn’t help but think about how foolish it would be to drown so close to safety. I reflected on my life and realized how many of my pursuits seemed trivial in that moment.
8. Reevaluation of Goals: I didn’t suddenly gain a newfound appreciation for life; instead, I felt anger toward my family for their inaction and frustration over our unhealthy celebration of Father’s Day. The reality of life goals hit me hard, as they all depend on living to achieve them.

In the end, it’s true that “fit people are harder to kill.” A fitter individual wouldn’t have faced the same challenges I did, and the experience served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparation and resilience.

Chapter 2: Insights Gained

The first video, Climate Stories: What I Learned by Nearly Drowning, explores the profound realizations drawn from confronting life-threatening situations. It emphasizes the importance of being prepared and the reflections that follow such an experience.

The second video, That Time Mike Almost Drowned, shares a personal narrative of a near-drowning incident, highlighting the critical lessons learned about safety and awareness in water activities.