DROWNING AT BEACH

On a scorching hot day, my parents took my brother and I to Sentosa Siloso Beach for a
picnic.
When we reached our destination, we quickly found a shady tree to put down our picnic
stuff. My brother and I were very excited to start swimming. We quickly changed into
our swimming costumes and ran towards the sea. The water was very calm at that time.
We enjoyed splashing and treading water and watching the ripples forming in the water.
After having a whale of a time playing and swimming in the water, my leg suddenly
became numbed. I had a leg cramp. I panicked and screamed for help. Alas! My brother
was quite far from me. He did not seem to hear my cry for help.
My head bobbed up and down in the water. I swallowed a lot of the salty sea water.
After what seemed like hours of struggling in the water, a hand suddenly grabbed me. My
brother had come to my rescue!
He lifted my head out of the water and pulled me to shore. After laying me on the
sandy shore, he applied artificial resuscitation on me and I coughed out water. By then,
my parents saw what had transpired and rushed towards us.
“Peter, are you all right?” my mother asked anxiously as she crouched next to me. I
grimaced and howled in pain, gesturing to my legs. My mother shot a reproachful look at
my brother, while my father stood over us, his brow creased and his face ashen. My
brother thought, “Why did I not keep a close eye on my brother?” Guilt gnawed at him
from the inside and he hung his head low. He rubbed my numbed leg to ease the pain
there.
Gradually, I stopped groaning and my face visibly relaxed. My parents heaved a huge
sigh of relief.
I had suffered a leg cramp because I swam too vigorously and was not properly
hydrated before the swim.
I subsequently apologised to my parents for causing them such great anxiety.
After that frightening incident when I almost drowned, I refused to venture
anywhere near a waterbody for the next month in fear that the same thing would happen
to me. However, I gradually recovered my nerve and slowly picked up swimming again.