| tyin'aknot
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Hi! I experienced a HUGE eye-opener this weekend as to exactly how out of shape I am!
I've always loved swimming and I am a strong swimmer. I have no fear of the water. So when my in-laws offered to take me and my 4-yr-old daughter on their boat for swimming on the bay, I jumped at the chance. The entire family was going, about 7 adults and 10 kids.
My daughter had her life jacket on the entire time. Her 4-yr-old cousin wore hers only part of the time.
Anyway, we go out on Saginaw Bay (Michigan) and find a beautiful sand bar. The water is only about 2-3 feet deep, perfect for the little ones, etc. We anchor the boat and have fun splashing for hours. At one point, I took my daughter on the other side of the boat with no problem, the depth was the same.
Well, apparently the boat must have drifted, etc., because later I went on the opposite side of the boat with both 4-yr-olds in tow - and there was NO TOUCHING BOTTOM. I mean, AT ALL. I had an inner-tube around my waist and we were right at the boat, so I pushed the little ones back to the boat and told them to go on the other side. Of couse, being 4 they kept saying "why, we want to be with you!" I tried not to panic because I didn't want them to panic. But here's what was really going on...
Apparently where the sand bar dropped off was where the current started. Because, with an inner tube wrapped around my waist, I was kicking my legs and stroking my arms as hard as I could and I was being pulled farther out into the Bay. And the more I struggled, the faster I was pulled away from the boat, away from the girls, etc. I had to call up to someone on the boat to have one of the men in the water come and get the girls. And then after he took the little ones back onto the sand bar, I had to yell for him to get me, too!
It was just a little embarrassing, but VERY frightening. I know how well I can swim, was trying with all my might and having no luck at all. I've never swam against a current before. When I got back onto the boat, my feet and legs were all cramped and having spasms from the ordeal.
I didn't let on how scared I was because of all the little ones, but I not only saw my life flash before my eyes, but I was panicked about not being able to get the 2 little girls back to the safety of the sand bar by myself. Thank God the one had her life jacket on - earlier she only had her arm swimmies, and I don't think that would have helped her against the currant.
It really made me realize how dangerous it is to be this physically out-of-shape. |
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Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:02 am |
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| SuzeDee
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| Hey tyin - Thanks for sharing your story. How scary! A good lesson for us all. Glad everything turned out ok. |
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Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:48 pm |
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| OldGreyBob
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| Hey sand bars are dangerous even to good swimmers. Often they are created just on the lee side of a strong current. A neighbor, one time captain of our village swim team, drowned swimming off of a sandbar, he was sucked out and down by the current. |
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Mon Aug 13, 2007 4:33 pm |
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| 2of3
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That must've been really scary indeed.
I've encountered some pretty strong currents on the surface and at depth when diving. The advice I received and always give is never try to swim against a current. Swim across it. They're not usually very wide.
That has stood me in good stead a few times.
2/3 |
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Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:40 pm |
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| kttybrneyes
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| man i am glad you and the girls were ok. smart thinking though to ask for help some people would of just tried to handle it on their own. so way to think! and again glad you are ok |
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Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:36 pm |
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| alaskagrown
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Wow - I don't know if I would have been able to keep my cool the way you did, how terrifying that must have been.
Thanks for sharing your story, it's good reminder that there are others uses for having a strong body, besides looking good in yoga pants. |
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Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:50 am |
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