I watched a kid nearly drown in waist deep water. To this day I have no idea what happened, but it looked like he was floating, then flopping around playfully, then going back to floating. I was standing on the shore just getting my feet wet (this was a “beach” outside Toronto) and I was just kind of watching him because his behavior seemed off somehow. After one of his “flops” he started a face down float, which he’s done a few times, but this time it kept going.

I had been counting in my head without even realizing it and we were up to about 60s when I started looking around. Had anyone else noticed? His mom came over and started calling to him. Ok, she’s in control. Another 30s pass and his mother is getting panicked. Fuck, I’m fully clothed, an hour from home, should I dive in? Something is definitely wrong. Someone do something… I turn around and start yelling as well.

Finally someone drags him, limp, from barely 3 feet of water. WTF. People are giving him CPR and I check his pulse between breaths… Fuck. I can’t find a pulse. Then he rockets a half gallon of water from his lungs and sits up. Finally some lifeguards show up.

I’d completely froze in the moment. I sensed something was off and didn’t do anything. Thank God the kid survived, but I think about it way too much…