07/08/2026
After today I will never swim alone in deep water ever again. I witnessed an incredibly scary and dangerous situation happen, while I was cleaning at one of the rental properties.
I was cleaning and heard loud yelling. At first I thought it was just neighbors having fun. I quickly realized it was that it was a terror filled yelling. I ran to the opened front door to look across the street and saw a women crying and screaming while looking out into the water. I looked into the water and quickly realized there was a man in the water drowning . I could see him come up and go back under the water. I was out the door and across the street in seconds ready to jump in to help.
Thankfully there were two people on paddle boards that were already working on getting to him and getting him on the board. So I looked around and saw no one on a phone, so I asked if 911 was called. Both women on the shore said they didn’t have their phones, so I told them I would call and handle flagging them down, so they could focus on their loved one.
Watching the two people (woman and man) on the paddle boards fighting to save this man’s life was truly terrifying and amazing. They had heard the screams from help and came from down the lake, they fought tirelessly to get the exhausted older man onto the board to get him to safety of the dock. They are truly amazing human beings for reacting so quickly and jumping into action to save a man.
His poor wife had to helplessly watch her husband drown feet off the shore. He was simply just swimming to their pontoon boat about 40 feet off the shore, to remove a float that had gone under the boat the night before. He was a strong swimmer, who just hadn’t swam that far in a while and he got tired and tried to float and unfortunately he was just too tired.
After I was able to flag down the first police officer who arrived then rescue workers next while he was with the gentleman, I got out of their way and broke down. I could see what was happening and it broke my heart. I kept praying I would see him sit up and slowly walk out on his own but that’s not what happened. And watching someone in their worse moments is incredibly emotional.
Thankfully the friend of the gentleman came over after he was in the ambulance to let me know he was at least okay-ish from what they could tell. She also gave me a hug and thanked me. I told her, I was just thankful that the paddle boarders were there and that I was here cleaning today and had my phone right in my pocket. I don’t know how he is doing now but I am praying that he is safe and sound with his wife tonight.
Please respect the dangers of the water. None of us thinks we are going to be in these situations but they can happen. Today was a reality check for me and most of that neighborhood that this can happen to anyone and it happens in a blink of an eye. Please do not swim alone in deep water especially if there isn’t anyone around if something happens. If we all hadn’t been around this situation could have ended very differently. But because strangers jumped into action when they heard help was needed a man’s life was saved.
