Near Death Experience
by Bernard Christian C. Locsin
The most unforgettable day of my life was when I nearly drowned. After that incident I realized how precious life is and that death could come in a very unexpected way. I've learned how to swim in an early age and never did I expect that one day I'd have trouble in the waters.
It was the summer of 1997, when my friends and I decided to have a beach outing in Bayawan. The day was fair and the water was really tempting so we didn't waste any time and started swimming. I had much fun that morning and didn't expect any danger to come. We ate our lunch there and shortly after returned to swimming. Young as we were and adventurous we decided to go deeper. The water level seemed to be 12 feet or more when I felt a nagging pain in my toes. I was having cramps! I tried to call out to my friends but they were far ahead of me. The pain was gaining on me and I can't anymore move my right foot. I tried hard to stay above waters but with my right foot paralyzed, I could just feel myself going downwards until I was totally submerged in water. I though that it would be the end, when hands reached out to me and pulled me to shore. My friends just arrived on time and if they came only a few minutes late I wouldn't have the chance to write about this experience.
From then on I was more cautious of the things I do. I decided not to plunge myself directly into a situation. Somehow that experience made me a little bit wiser and mature.