View Full Version : Panic in the Water
Yesterday was a terrible day, not so much for me, but more so for my best friend who suffers panic attacks in the water.
We were on jet ski together wearing life vests. We picked a Friday afternoon (7-11-03 a day ill never forget) to go to Tucker town reservoir in NC, with not many people on the lake. We took turns riding the jet ski from the bank of the lake. My friend Robert flipped the jet ski and was 50 yards from me off shore. He grab the jet ski and was ok, but then I could observe his change. He leaned back let go of the jet ski and went into his panic mode(the last thing he said " I need help"!). When I got there he was passed out, not breathing with his face up in the water. I was so scared, we were all alone. I also suffer from anxiety.. I prayed and my body when into action. I gave him mouth to mouth until he breathed on his own, his color started to come back. I knew I couldn't stay with the boat and had to make it to shore so I pulled him with one hand and the other under his head keeping it out of the water, all the while kicking my feet and swimming and stopping. I stopped several times while swimming back to shore and gave him more air and started some sort of CPR (can you believe it in the water?) His eyes were rolled back in his head and stopped breathing and depending on how hard I work on him he would go in and out of consciousness and his color would change. Finally we reach shore and I was so scared. I forgot to pack the cell phone so this didn't help either.. I didn't know what to do except continuing to give him mouth to mouth and CPR until he came back and finally recognized me. When he was able to sit up on his own and I realized the event was nearly over and he was breathing on his own. I swam for the swamped jet ski, flipped it over and it managed to start. Somehow with the lords help we made it back to the dock. Robert didn't want me to call 911,so I gave him a choice of who I was to call, either 911 or his wife(who is a physicians assistant). We called her and she met us to check him out . So today my best friend is alive with a sore chest.
And today I share with you this story with a very sore body of my own. But the best thing is Robert is alive and I think we both realize maybe our jet skiing days are over. We are 46 years old and our daughters are best friends..
In conclusion, i was researching this disorder in order to better understand yesterdays incident.. I wanted to share this with someone and also try to learn about something i didn't understand.
Alive and Well in North Carolina,
Charlie:)
It's so hard to know what to say.....
Very well done for keeping it together and doing so fabulously.
How are you both doing now ?
Robert is extremely lucky to have a friend such as you. People with panic attcks don't often pass out, he must have inhaled loads of water which put him into the respiratory arrest.
I can understand that your jet skiing days are over but it would be a good idea for you both to go back to that reservoir fairly soon and paddle/swim or something or else he's certainly likely to develop a further fear surrounding being near water.
Take care you both :)
Radar,
Thanks so much for your concern. We are still trying to make sense out of this incident.I have heard that panic doesnt result in loss of consciousness, so we dont know quite what to make of it. Robert has a very sore chest. Im a big guy as he his and i have never performed CPR, so i may have cracked his rib. We shall find out tommorrow when he sees the doc.
He cant figure it out either because he had a pool and use to be the super swimmer guy. I dont have a fear of water..But i sure as hell has lots of anxiety especailly during this whole deal. Writing about it is my way of releasing this bottled up energy, and somehow im able to cope better with it.
:)Alive and well in America.:)
Charlie
I'm qualified in Advanced Life Support and still crack ribs. Providing you didn't break it so it punctured a lung which you'd have known about by now - there will be no harm done. Well done you for managing it.
Do just get yourselves back there - it helps so much in the medium term- get it all out whilst it's still raw rather than nightmares later on.
I thought you said he already suffered from PA's in water. Something must have triggered it off to start with ages ago- I thought he was doing really well to be out jetskiing if that was the case.
Take Care
Update: From the medical profession on this incident. Brain scan negative...Of course i could have told them that.. he has no brain. No word back on his rib xray, brused or broken, all the doctors say it is highly unlikely that it was a panic attack. He has a Stress test scheduled soon and my friend may have to wear a heart monitor to find out if the heart has a problem. So we shall see what the underlying causes to this incident are. He told me he was going to give it a try in a pool with the same life vest,to recreate the incident. I told him three things.. Please dont invite me, make sure someone is with you,and they have a rope tied to you before you do such a thing.
Seriously we can joke now... But it was real.
Im not sure about recreating this incident until we find out what all the medical results are beforehand.
Thanks for caring,
Charlie:)
This will be my last posting on this topic. I wanted to close this somehow. My friend Robert has not found out what is wrong with him. He has had a barrage of medical tests including a 24 hour heart monitor,treadmill,brain scan etc. Now that this incident is in our past ,it has somehow changed my life forever.So in closing i want to say if you ever get a chance to save someones life do it. It will change you.:)Charlie:)
nomorepanic
21-08-03, 17:28
Thanks for sharing this with us Charlie and good luck to both of you for the future.
Nicola
I just couldnt resist to add more more comment on this whole incident "Panic in the Water".IM HAPPY TO REPORT I FINALLY SOLD THE JET SKI ON FEB 14TH!!!:)
It was never used after the incident last year.
We both continue to live our lives and rarely talk of that day that changed our lives forever. Our daughters are headed to college this fall, so we have something else to panic about now. How to pay for it!![:0]
Lol,
Great Site,
Charlie :D
I'm pleased to hear that you are both ok and now looking forward to your girls flying the nest.
Meg
Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...
Hi Charlie
Glad you and your friend are both doing good.
Im not surprised you never used the jet ski again after that fright!!
Never mind, at least your daughter will have fun spending the proceeds!!!!!....lol
love Sarah
xx
nomorepanic
22-02-04, 20:48
Hi Charlie
Thanks for coming back to see us and let us know.
Good luck with the college fees - I don't envy you that expense!!
Nicola
Hiya Charlie,
Glad to hear you and your friend are doing well. That is quite a story ey? My first time reading it today, that is quite scary :(. You know people say everything happens for a reason. Maybe since there is no "medical" conclusion, this was an incident to bring you and your friend even closer if that was possible. So that you two could get through your daughters going off to college together, which I am sure is going to be hard to do. Well done on keeping your wits about you through the whole thing. I wish you and your friend the best of luck in your future endeavors. Keep posting to let us know how you and your friend handle the daughters going off to college.
Take care,
Diana xxxx
WELL I REALLY THOUGHT THIS PARTICULAR STORY WOULD BE OVER. BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED YESTERDAY THAT CHANGED ALL OUR LIVES AND THOSE WHO ARE FREINDS AND FAMILY WITH ROBERT. I ORGIANLLY FOUND THIS WEB SITE BECAUSE OF THE TRAUMA ASSOCIATED WITH SAVING ROBERTS LIFE. NOW IM BACK. MY BEST FRIEND HAS PASSED ON AT 47 YEARS OF AGE. HE WAS FOUND IN HIS HOTEL ROOM SATURDAY JAN 8TH,APARENTLY HE HAS DIED OF A HEART ATTACK IN HIS SLEEP(WE DONT KNOW AT THIS POINT). HE WAS ATTENDING THE ELECTRONICS EXPO IN LAS VEGAS. WE STILL DONT HAVE ROBERT YET,HIS BODY WILL BE FLOWN TO N.C. USA ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY. MEANWHILE WE ARE ALL SHOCKED. I AM ESPECIALLY DISTRAUGHT. IT WAS BECAUSE OF ROBERT I REACHED OUT TO THIS WEB SITE WITH THE STORY OF SAVING HIS LIFE ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO.
ROBERT LEAVES A WIFE AND 2 COLLEGE KIDS. A SON AND A DAUGHTER(MY DAUGHTERS BEST FREIND).
HE LEAVES MANY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I KNEW HIM 16 YEARS.
I WISH THIS WAS ALL A DREAM, BUT THIS MORNING I WAKE UP TO THE REALITY OF IT ALL.
THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT AND THANKS NICOLA.
I WILL BE POSTING MORE. THIS IS A REALLY BAD TIME.
CHARLIE
nomorepanic
09-01-05, 15:18
Charlie
I really wish that we were welcoming you back to the forum with good news but this is so sad for you :(
I know that you were very close and now to lose him must be devastating for you and the family.
I expect the incident last year made you both even closer so it must be even harder to accept that he has now died.
If there is anything we can do to help then please let us know and our thoughts are with you, your family and the family he has left behind.
This will be a very difficult time for you so if you need an extra support then we are here for you ok.
Sending you a big hug at this time.
Nicola
Dear Charlie,
I am soo very sorry to hear about Robert's death at such a young age.
It might be that he had some sort of underlying cardiac issue and the incident with the water was you saving him from this same condition a couple of years ago.
Its great for his family and for you all that you were very close and open with each other so you can share in your grief.
I hope the girls can support each other when they go back to college.
You and the family look after each other and we are here should you need some support.
Meg
Thanks for the support. I cant believe today. A day of grief,healing and remembering my friend. A day of grown men crying like babies and hugging each other. Thank God for freinds. His family is all in town. There is bulls___ with getting him back from Vegas in the states.. If a autopsy is not deemmed necessary then it cost big bucks. His wife is faced with $11,000 which includes embalming just to get him back here.
I think his company is stepping up to the plate because he was on business at the Expo.
The officals rule the death as a PE (pulmonary embolism). It is said they get hundreds a year in Vegas due to this and they atribute it to flying?
Enough for now. Sorry for the details.. I have to get this off my chest.
I know most of you are in England, but it doesnt matter. People are people and i appreciate this site because it is definetly helping deal with yet another one of lifes crisis..
More later
Charlie
Dear Charlie,
I should think they will be covering it or his life insurance should do so.
A PE can be spontaneous due to flying and altitude but usually there is a form of underlying disease that predisposes someone to being high risk for one.
You keep having times of grief with lots of physical contact and tears. Its so healing..
Big hug
Meg
www.overcominganxiety.co.uk
You cannot conquer fear until you have learned what it is you're afraid of. The enemy is ignorance. Vivian Vance
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