Personal Narrative: My Most Defining Moment

terrified of the water and refused to go back on ever again. Another time was

As I jumped into the water, I only had one thing on my mind: saving the victim. As I swam towards her I saw her head slip under. I called for a backboard before I dove beneath the surface to bring her head above the water. I

In the Infant/Toddler stage, an incident occurred while we were visiting a relative who owned a pool. I tried to keep an eye on Jason, but got distracted. I heard a splash, and ran outside to the pool to find Jason sinking below the surface. I grabbed him and pulled him to safety. I checked to see if he had swallowed any water, dried him off with a towel, and calmed him down.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the fifth leading cause of unintentional injury death in the United States. Also, about ten people every day die from drowning (“Unintentional…”, par. 1). Drowning is a serious concern and anxiety for many people. And, it comes to no surprise that drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death in the summer (Leigh, 1). People might be familiar with what happens to the lungs while drowning, however, some don not know there is a difference between what happens to the body when one drown in freshwater versus saltwater.

"Drowning Risks in Natural Water Settings." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 June 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2013.

While contrasting these web articles, I began with the primary audiences. I believe the WebMD article was geared toward parents and caregivers without previous knowledge or with minimal knowledge on the subject of dry drowning. Their ages could vary from teen babysitters up to grandparent

Another way of absorption into the body is through skin contact. That is from swimming pool, or from exposure of chlorine through gas, bleach or water or soil that contains a lot of chlorine.

It’s summertime, and the perfect time to hit the pool, or in Colorado even a lake or reservoir. There’s nothing better than a relaxing dip in the cool water on a hot summer’s day. However, did you know that everyday 10 people die from unintentional drowning? Drowning in fact ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the U.S. Additionally, about 1 in 5 people who die from drowning are children ages 14 and younger, and for children in this age group drowning is the 2nd leading cause of unintentional injury death. When you are out enjoying recreational water activities it’s important to be aware of all important safety measures. Sadly, it can take only 20-60 seconds before a drowning victim sinks underwater.

As I plummeted into the water I thought for a split second that I was safe, until a second much larger splash landed directly on top of me. Before I could even get up for air the unstoppable 100 pound beast began attacking. His long, sharp claws and pointy yellow teeth sank into my skin and life jacket. Unable to swim, the only thing keeping me afloat and alive was my little blue life jacket. The pressure of the relentless dog held me underwater as I nearly drowned.My whole world seemed to come to a halt as I simultaneously struggled to catch my breath while screaming for help. I was quickly inhaling water into my lungs, which culminated into putting me in a traumatized state. In the midst of the struggle, another splash landed directly to my left, my cousin Paul. He ripped the dog off by his metal choker collar and grabbed me by the inflated blue rim of my life jacket. Swimming in the opposite direction of the panting pitbull, Paul dragged me back to the sand where my family sat anxiously in shock. Soon all the attention was directed my way as they watched the tears pour from my

When I finally attempted the dive, it went well. Once I jumped off the platform, muscle memory allowed me to perform the dive the same way I had for years. I was proud of myself for overcoming my fear but at the same time slightly disappointed for having wasted months of practice. I had placed all my effort into my training but did not believe in my own capabilities, or the fact my coaches would not put me in a situation I could not handle.

There are far worse risks from swimming, driving a car, or even different health risks. Over one’s lifetime the chances of being killed by drowning are 1 in 1,134, killed by a car accident (1 in 84), killed by a stroke (1 in 24),

Support 2: Open Swimming- Open swimming like at sea, lake or river can increase the chances of drowning because the water currents are not stable like in pools. They are more dynamic and can pull you along with it. Aquatic animals like Jelly fishes, sharks, crabs, crocodiles, alligator, etc. are other threats as they can harm you physically. You can also injure yourself while diving into shallow water. But these effects can be stopped by swimming at a public pool and most have swim equipment such as pull buoys, kick boards, and fins to help increase your performance.

Even for individuals who are not allergic to chlorine, chlorine has notably harmful effects. Specifically, it is considered a toxin and must be handled carefully. Chlorine requires detailed handling instructions in order to ensure the safety of those around it. Moreover, chlorine storage

The next part of the training turned out to be the toughest. We were required to dive ten feet to the bottom of the pool and retrieve a ten pound weight. Once the weight was brought to the surface we were supposed to tread water for two minutes while keeping the weight above the water line. This appeared to be simple so I dived in, expecting an easy time. I had no trouble getting the weight to the surface and proceeded to tread water with a feeling of undoubtable success. But once again my anti-floating physical quality began to take effect. At one minute and thirty seconds I began to sink and within the next fifteen seconds my head was submerged and I was fighting for air. The water from the pool began flowing into my mouth with each desperate grasp for air; it felt as if an ocean were draining into my body. I remember hearing from under the water the instructor's muffled voice counting down the last ten seconds of the exercise. When it was all over I slowly made my way back to the pool's edge where I was informed by the two young girls that they had no difficulty

You have been learning swimming and practicing it regularly with success for quite some time now. It is obvious that you are close to becoming an expert soon provided that you get efficient in crossing one more hurdle that is, open water swimming. Swimming in the open waters is scary at least for the first time that you swim in an environment that is strikingly different from that of a swimming pool. When inside the waters, you will tend to miss the black line, the walls and so many other things that will evoke a sense of fear and insecurity in you.