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| Thread: I almost drowned last night |  This thread is pages long: 1 2 · NEXT» |
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Blizzardboy
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Nerf Herder
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posted July 09, 2020 06:35 PM |
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I almost drowned last night
So I'm visiting family in Nag’s Head, North Carolina and was going kayaking for a peaceful night on the sound. Supposedly the sound is shallow enough that you can stand up wherever you go, but as it turns out this was incorrect. I was rowing in a very large loop, far far out from the shore and then started paddling back to the pier. Turns out during this time my kayak was unknowingly taking on water. The craft started becoming tipsy from too much weight and eventually I fell in. My lamp floated away with the gentle current.
To my surprise, the water was around 8 feet and over my head. I tried multiple times to push myself back on the kayak, but it had already taken on more water at this point and I couldn’t stay on despite my best efforts. I was using lots of upper body strength for this and I realized I was blowing a lot of energy. As I continued to kick my feet in the water, my water-soaked shoes and socks were making my legs heavy and I decided to lose them. I held onto the flipped-over kayak and starting pushing towards the shore while holding my oar. The oar became a burden to carry with me and eventually I let go of it as well. I was now just holding on to the kayak and kicking my way towards shore, but then I realized the current seemed to be pushing against me and I wasn’t sure if I was making any progress. It was very difficult to have any perspective on distance by looking at the lights on the pier in the distance. I intermittently screamed for help but nobody was around.
I thought about letting go of the kayak as well since I could swim faster, but that was the only thing that could float and I couldn’t be certain if I was even making any progress; if I let go of the kayak I would have nothing else to hold onto. I started to calm down because I thought I could simply cling to the kayak and even if I didn’t make it to shore I would eventually be found. Well, turns out, the kayak was continuing to take on water from an unknown leak and it started sinking deeper into the water. After kicking my legs while pushing a water-heavy kayak for around 30-45 minutes, the continuous hard physical exertion put a cramp in my right leg. I was stretching my right leg while kicking with my left leg, rowing with one arm, and holding onto the kayak with my other arm. Then my left leg got an even worse cramp and I had to switch legs again. Stretching one and kicking with the other. I took a brief pause and purposely let myself sink while I stretched and massaged both calf muscles simultaneously, then came back to the surface. The kayak was slowly getting deeper and water was splashing into my face. At a certain point I was guesstimating how long it would hurt while my lungs filled with water.
Eventually, I stood on my tippy-toes and touched down on the ground, then slowly walked on my tippy toes until it was shallow enough that I could stand up while angling my head towards the stars. I stood there for a few minutes while my leg muscles spasmed in pain from exertion. At this point I was safe and I slowly walked my way back to shore with only myself and the kayak. The kayak seemed to have over 100 liters of water inside and I couldn’t do anything besides drag it into the sand and then walk back to my aunt’s house.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 09, 2020 07:52 PM |
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Completely unexpected chain of bad circumstances. No phone on me either.
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blob2
Undefeatable Hero
Blob-Ohmos the Second
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posted July 09, 2020 08:00 PM |
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Edited by blob2 at 20:02, 09 Jul 2020.
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Glad you're ok, stories like this remind us water can be very dangerous.
When I was a kid I was swimming in a sea not far from shore on a public beach with seemingly a lot of people around. A storm was coming so the water started to become unruly. I was just swimming back to shore when a big wave cought up to me, spinned me a few times and dragged me for a couple of seconds through the sandy bottom. I totally lost control and orientation, when I got to the surface I was a couple of meters more away from the shore. I doubt anyone would even notice if I was carried away...
I was mostly angry that I lost my sun-protection cap to the sea at that time. Didn't realize back then I could've been gone in an instant...
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artu
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
My BS sensor is tingling again
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posted July 09, 2020 08:02 PM |
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My condolences or whatever you guys say in such situations, glad you made it.
Btw, it’s interesting that you guys call that kayaking and the boat kayak. In Turkish, kayak means ski and skiing is “kayak yapmak.” I always thought it came from the verb “kay” which means to slide, slip etc. But now I’ll have to do some etymological digging.
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Are you pretty? This is my occasion. - Ghost
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 09, 2020 09:39 PM |
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@blob2
I've had an affinity for water since I was a baby and drowning would be the last way I'd expect to die.
If I wasn't in good shape swimming against that current I don't see how I would have survived because the craft was slowly sinking. I'd be dead. I could have gone with the current and hit shallow water on the other side of the underwater channel but that is retrospective knowledge after I googled a depth chart of the area.
@Artu
Terrible and terrifying at the time, but later that night and today I now feel like a billion dollars. Elation.
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JoonasTo
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
What if Elvin was female?
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posted July 10, 2020 08:43 AM |
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This bothers the hell out of me but do you actually have oars in the kayak and row it? Or is that just a local dialect thing for where you’re from?
Because generally you have oars in a boat and you row a boat. Which is quite different than using a paddle.
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DON'T BE A NOOB, JOIN A.D.V.E.N.T.U.R.E.
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Galaad
Hero of Order
Li mort as morz, li vif as vis
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posted July 10, 2020 09:51 AM |
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Glad you're fine.
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fred79
Disgraceful
Undefeatable Hero
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posted July 10, 2020 11:11 AM |
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Glad to hear you're ok.
I've never met anyone from hc irl. As it turns out, i'm not far from you. Wanna meet up?
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artu
Promising
Undefeatable Hero
My BS sensor is tingling again
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posted July 10, 2020 11:32 AM |
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Edited by artu at 11:47, 10 Jul 2020.
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Ok. Why don't you drop by after lunch.
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Are you pretty? This is my occasion. - Ghost
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fred79
Disgraceful
Undefeatable Hero
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posted July 10, 2020 12:30 PM |
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Sure. We could have some Turkish Delight. 
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 10, 2020 01:19 PM |
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@Joonas:
I just called it an oar because that's what other people were calling it. It has flat blades on both ends and it's not attached.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 10, 2020 01:28 PM |
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It's a humbling experience because you hear about these stories of people drowning and in the back of your mind you secretly wonder if that person was just a really crappy swimmer or completely freaked out or something. And then you get caught in a situation where you're trying to swim back to shore, you're trying to do all of the right things, nobody is around to help you, the current is pushing against you, you get a cramp, and you think "This is actually happening. I'm actually going to drown."
Going kayaking tomorrow though  Today is jet skiing.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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fred79
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posted July 10, 2020 01:33 PM |
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Guess you don't wanna meet up, then?
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 10, 2020 01:35 PM |
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No, sorry.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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fred79
Disgraceful
Undefeatable Hero
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posted July 10, 2020 01:37 PM |
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husham123
Famous Hero
Yes
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posted July 10, 2020 03:17 PM |
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Blizzardboy said:
At a certain point I was guesstimating how long it would hurt while my lungs filled with water.
At first, you fight against it, but then your instinct to breathe in when you feel out of air kicks in, and your lungs swallow water. When water enters your lungs, your lungs literally start to feel heavier, and your torso/chest area as a whole does as well. But from the lack of oxygen, you would start hallucinating right after this feeling, and would feel light as you hit the bottom of the (lake.. ?) floor. Which as many people who nearly drowned describe it, caused some sort of euphoria, so as it turns out, drowning itself isn't exactly painful, or that bad. But the panic that comes right before you drown damn right is. And it's kind of why drowning is so notorious. People often say drowning and being set on fire are the two worst ways to die, but if I had to tier them, I'd probably put drowning at #1, and being set on fire at #2.
I know it's not exactly any consolation, but I'm glad you're ok.
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What the darn-diddily-doodily did you just say about me, you little witcharooney? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Springfield Bible College, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret
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Blizzardboy
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posted July 10, 2020 04:55 PM |
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I guess I missed the drug trip of the century.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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Stevie
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posted July 10, 2020 05:20 PM |
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fred79
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Undefeatable Hero
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posted July 10, 2020 11:43 PM |
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I don't really do drugs or drink anymore.
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NoobX
Undefeatable Hero
Now, this is a paradox...
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posted July 11, 2020 12:10 AM |
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Don't give up, Blizz, you'll succeed next time 
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Ghost said:
Door knob resembles anus tap.
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