Risk Management Magazine

In all of these horrific occurrences, the current or wave action usually causes the boat, person or object to drift farther than expected and the retriever drowns. Obviously, these individuals couldn’t swim as well as they thought. Many people aren’t aware of the differences of swimming in natural waters (lakes, rivers, oceans) and swimming in a pool.

While holding onto a rock to stabilize myself, I felt the ground beneath my feet begin to give way. At this point, any movement made my grip weaker. Eventually, I couldn’t hold on any longer and fell. I slid backward for 40 yards down an extremely steep ridge. Luckily, I hit a tree and flipped onto my stomach, still sliding down at a rapid pace.

Taking an early morning swim in the ocean is a great way to start your day. If you’re not careful, however, that great start could come to an abrupt and tragic end. It almost happened to me.