THE WATER

Surviving the Waves of Panic 

by Konstantin Komarov

This happened a very long time ago when I was just starting to learn the techniques of working under water. I put on the wetsuit and prepared the supplies for my work, but miscalculated the weight of the load.Moreover, I took an almost empty oxygen tank because the volume of work seemed to be minimal.To make things worse, I grossly broke the rules (I was too conceited at the time) and did not tie the signal rope.So, equipped in this way, I put on the fins and headed to the middle of the river.

I was swimming quickly and at an angle to the current, trying to keep the depth.I suddenly realized I was being pushed to the bottom.I began kicking harder with my fins in order to come up. I accelerated, but couldn't get higher.I added more speed, but it was all useless - I was losing my strength.By the time I realized what was happening, I was on the bottom, about 12 meters (36 feet) deep and about 50 meters (150 feet) from the shore.I lost my orientation.It was dark.There was no grass on the bottom of the river, so I could not tell the direction of the current nor tell where the shore was.I looked to see how much air I had left, and saw that the arrow was pointing to the middle of the red zone -- that meant 5 to 7 minutes of calm breathing.Then fear rolled onto me.

Not just fear - TERROR.

It suddenly seemed that the air was barely going through the tube, and I was starting to suffocate.The water was compressing me harder.In other words, I was almost in a panic.I looked up and saw the faint light of the sky.  I so desperately wished to live that only one thought stayed in my head - SWIM UP!  I feverishly started beating my arms and legs and went straight up.It took me 40 seconds to cover the depth of 12 meters.  My legs were in a spasm.  The top of my head was already on the surface, but I could not look up.I had no strength to lift the facemask out of the water.  With a final effort, I looked up, caught a glimpse of some object against the sky,

... and dropped like a rock back to the bottom.

I was lying at the river bottom powerless, panting as if I had just sprinted a race.My body was spent, but my head cleared.  I began to calm myself down, to control my breath, and think.  I remembered what exactly I saw above water and it was a section of a bridge.  I fell straight to the bottom without turning, and thus was able to identify the direction of the shore in relation to the bridge.  There was still air in the tank, but the arrow was pointing to zero.

I tried to unbuckle my load and the oxygen tank, but I couldn't.  It turned out later that the belt buckle got hooked to the tank attachment and got jammed.  I decided not to waste time with the equipment.I took off the fins and started to move quickly in the direction I chose - toward the shore.  I was not swimming, but moving as heavy divers do - pushing off with the feet and assisting with the arms - gliding above the bottom.

Fortunately, I picked the direction well.The oxygen indicator was not set precisely, so there was still a tiny bit of air left.I dragged my last inhale out of the tank when the top of my head was close to the surface.  I had to cover the last few meters jumping high and gulping air with my mouth.  I crawled to shore with my arms and legs shaking - dead tired but happy because I was alive.  For about half a year later, I had dreams of laying on the bottom, in the dark, running out of breath with water pushing down on me.I would wake up in terror.

As a result of this "adventure", I made a few important conclusions for the rest of my life:

1. Water does not like careless attitudes and punishes quickly and cruelly.
2. Water dramatically affects the psyche of a person, changes his perception of space and situations - on one hand it can relax, and on the other hand it can cause instant panic.
3. While working in the water, the key is your psyche.  Your physical condition is not important.In the most unexpected, complicated, and critical situation in the water - if you keep your calmness, you will survive.

These conclusions have since served me many times.  Here is one example:

Summer.  The Black Sea.  Storm.  I was sitting on the shore, watching the waves' thunderous crashing.I love to swim during a storm, but this time the waves were too big and I didn't want to risk it.To the right of me, the sea entered a harbor for tour boats.  A small group of young people was standing on the dock.  The waves rolled over the dock and covered them almost waist high.  They were having a good time.  The wind came in gushes and the waves were uneven.  Some were extremely high. 

I did not see what happened on the dock next.  I just heard the screams.It was apparent that one of the big waves washed a person into the sea.  I ran to the dock and saw a man, 20 meters (60 feet) away, struggling amongst the waves.  He was in a panic, flailing his arms and trying to scream.The waves kept covering him and his terror escalated.  Every time the waves would retreat, they would drag him further away from shore.

I looked around and saw no rope or life-preserver.The shore was rocky and treacherous, making it impossible for the man to make it straight to shore.The man's friends were distraught and not capable of any cognitive actions.  An urgent decision was required because I knew at any moment we may no longer see the man's head come above water ever again.

I grabbed and shook the guy next to me.He was about seventeen.I shouted in his face, "Run to the road!Stop the cars!Drivers.  Tow ropes.  Six of them -- Here. NOW!!!"  I turned him to face the road and gave him a big kick to the butt with my knee. 

I grabbed another guy and yelled to him, "Run to the harbor front!  Get people, Lifeguards, Life-preservers.Call Ambulance!!!"I turned him and gave him the same acceleration.

To all the others, "Move away!Hold hands and stay low!Make sure no one else is washed away.Yell for help!"

I looked for the drowning man and at first could not see him.  Finally I spotted him, about 30 meters (90 feet) away.The head popped up above the waves and immediately disappeared again.  I selected the wave and jumped with my feet onto its "spine".I began to forcefully swim away from the docks before the next wave could crush me against the dock supports.About thirty seconds later, I glimpsed the head 10 meters (30 feet) away.  As I swam up, one of his flailing arms struck me in the face, and I was greeted by his wide-open mouth and bulging eyes.

I didn't get a chance to swim away from him, and the man started to climb up my body as if I was a ladder.He was a big guy, about 90 Kilos (200 Pounds), very young, completely crazed and uncontrollable.  Because of this assault, I was pushed down where I swallowed water.I was experienced enough and did not resist.  I relaxed and as I exhaled, I held the leftover air in my lungs and went underwater.The guy held on to me for another 2 seconds and then let me go, kicking me hard in the head to push himself up.I realized that I would not be able to hold such a hulk of resisting mass afloat, much less pull him to safety.I tried to come up behind the guy, but just as I barely got a gulp of air, I was kicked in the groin.  This almost made me angry, but I remembered how I was floundering on the bottom of the river with my oxygen tank - how I desperately wanted to live, and saw nothing around me but the light spot of the sky above.

I did not rush to surface.I made a few strokes to the side and came up with the next wave.  Now I was 4 meters (12 feet) to the right of the drowning man.His crazed eyes immediately latched on to me and he feverishly headed in my direction.  If he was weaker, I would have had an easier time, but he had plenty of strength left and it was futile to try to shout and explain anything to him.  I waited until he tried to grab me and at that moment dove under him and came up right behind him.With my right hand I grabbed him by the hair, sharply bent his head back, and drowned him a bit.I then lifted his head back out of the water and yelled directly in his ear, "What is your name?!!!SAY IT!"  The guy started to struggle, to turn around, to grab me.I drowned him a bit more and yelled out my question again.  Only on the fourth try did I receive the answer.  Thus, contact was established and I could communicate with this person.

The rest was just a technical resolution.We swam to the docks together and kept afloat for a few minutes until the drivers with tow ropes arrived.They threw us the looped end of a rope, which I put over the man's head and around his torso, and he was pulled onto the dock.The man was battered from the waves, and rope-burned from the rescue, but otherwise we were alive and well.

In many respects, luck was on our side, but the main reason for our success was sober calculation based on the principles of behavior in extreme circumstances in the water.I would like to share these principles with you in camp.One can give endless written advice, but it is so much better to learn it in practice.

K. Komarov