Chapter deep-water: Deep Water | Short Questions

The older boy, a muscular eighteen-year-old, treated the terrifying act of throwing Douglas into the deep water as a mere practical joke. After Douglas had nearly drowned, gone through agonizing panic, and was found vomiting helplessly beside the pool, the older boy casually defended his reckless actions by saying, "But I was only fooling." He completely failed to realize the severe, life-threatening psychological and physical trauma his careless bullying had inflicted on the fragile and already frightened young boy.

While sinking into the deep end of the pool, a terrified Douglas managed to keep his wits and quickly formulated a survival strategy. He planned that the moment his feet hit the tiled bottom, he would summon all his strength and make a massive upward jump. He imagined he would quickly bob to the surface like a cork, where he would lie flat on the water, paddle vigorously with his arms and legs, and safely reach the edge.

The terrifying near-drowning incident at the YMCA pool left a haunting, deep-rooted fear of water in Douglas's heart that severely handicapped his adult life. Whenever he tried to wade in rivers or bathe in lakes, the icy horror would return, completely paralyzing his legs. This intense phobia ruined all his fishing trips and entirely deprived him of the natural joys of canoeing, boating, and swimming, keeping him isolated from the water-based activities he desperately wished to enjoy.

To make Douglas feel physically safe and mentally secure, the instructor cleverly utilized a belt and pulley system. He attached a sturdy rope to a belt worn by Douglas, which went through an overhead cable pulley. The instructor firmly held the other end of the rope while Douglas practiced swimming. This practical method ensured Douglas would not sink, allowing him to gradually reduce his paralyzing panic as they practiced moving back and forth across the pool for several months.

Douglas went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire because he wanted to test his newly acquired swimming skills in a vast, natural environment without his instructor's safety net. Although he could swim in the pool, he still had tiny residual doubts about whether the old terror would paralyze him in open water. By diving off Triggs Island and successfully swimming two miles across the large lake using various strokes, he confidently proved to himself that he had conquered his fears.