I almost drowned...
By Toni
@toniganzon (72281)
Philippines
August 22, 2019 7:48pm CST
Back in the summer of 1996, my friends and I went on a trip to Boracay Island and to Jawili Falls. Jawili Falls is famous in Panay island for having 7 basins. I love swimming even though I'm not really good at it. I simply cannot resist not to jump into the water whenever I see a sea, river, or lake. That's me.
When we were swimming in one of the basins of Jawili falls, I bumped into one of my friends who was swimming in the opposite direction. I lost my balance and I slowly sank into the water. He didn't notice it, but another friend, named Scott, did and pulled me out of the water. The water was really very deep.
Recently, I went there with my French friend and we swam in the same basin that I almost drowned and I told him the story. This time, I was more careful and told my friend to be careful as well coz the water was deep.
The photo attached is of me in that very basin that I almost drowned 23 years ago. Oh and Scott, the friend who saved me, died a year after that.
15 people like this
13 responses
@Deepizzaguy (102970)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
23 Aug 19
Scott is your Guardian Angel who saved you from drowning 23 years ago. I am sorry to learn that Scott passed away one year later after that incident.
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
Me too and I will never ever forget him. He will always be in my heart.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (102970)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
23 Aug 19
@toniganzon He will always be with you in spirit.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45120)
• Canada
23 Aug 19
I'm glad there was someone you rescue you! What happened to Scott?
2 people like this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
It was the summer of 1997 and we were planning our next trip to Boracay again that night. After dinner, he left with another friend of ours on a big bike. A taxi hit them. He stayed in the ICU for three days before he finally passed away.
2 people like this
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
@toniganzon Yeah that was good that Scott was fast enough to act on it else a few minutes later it could have been a different outcome.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
We were 9 people in that basin at the same time and we were all swimming. Nobody but just us, friends. I think it's impossible that nobody would notice me drowning. It just so happen that Scott was the first one to pull me out of the water.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
27 Aug 19
@rsa101 Think it wouldn't last for a long time coz the friend I bumped into felt that I bumped into him and the rest of our friends were around anyway.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
27 Aug 19
All of my friends were near. It was just Scott who acted immediately. I like swimming in deep water actually.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
28 Aug 19
@LadyDuck Yeah I know that about you.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471456)
• Switzerland
27 Aug 19
@toniganzon Many times people do not react quickly enough. I do not like to swim in deep water.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
Yes, it was very tragic. When I went to this falls again, all the memories came flooding back and it made me miss Scott.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
27 Aug 19
@DianneN He was handsome and a talented musician. Very kind too.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
23 Aug 19
@toniganzon I'm sure I would feel the same. Poor guy.
1 person likes this
@simplfred (20641)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
Heroic Scott... I know he is swimming in the sea-colored sky right now... Awesome photo...
2 people like this
@maximax8 (31046)
• United Kingdom
2 Oct 19
That water in the basin sounds very deep and I am sorry that you nearly drowned.I am pleased that 23 years later you are still alive. In 2002 I did a trip to New Zealand via some of the tropical islands in the South Pacific Ocean. I loved it in Samoa and found it to be very exciting. There was a marine area and a poll showed where the coral reef started. I swam out to that with my snorkeling mask on. I adored seeing the colorful coral and brightly colored fish. I was enjoying myself that I didn't realize I was drifting out a long way out in the sea and it was scary for me. I tried to swim back to the very distant shore line. Just then I felt the tide taking me even further out.So I decided to swim in a semi circle. This stopped the tide hurting me. Eventually I got back to the shoreline and I was exhausted.
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
27 Aug 19
I like swimming in deep water and I know when it's dangerous anyway.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
23 Aug 19
I like to swim when the water is extremely deep. I don't like shallow ones. I also love to snorkel but I know when I'm already tired and need to stop. But that time, I didn't expect that I would bump into someone and lose my balance.
1 person likes this
@almostoveryou (4802)
• Philippines
28 Aug 19
Rest in peace, Scott. How did you feel when you returned to this basin 23 years later?
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
28 Aug 19
I love swimming and nothing can really stop me from getting into the water.
1 person likes this
@ShifaLk (17817)
• India
29 Aug 19
@toniganzon wow... I am really scared of water.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72281)
• Philippines
27 Aug 19
For some reason, that didn't scare me at all. And thanks. Scott is a great loss. He was a great musician, a really talented guy.
