My Heroic Moment

While reading through the Monsters and Heroes section of the Anthology I was reminded of an instance when I was a hero to someone and did not react so smoothly after the fact. So here is my story...

Once upon a time, (but seriously this happened) I was camping up at Canyon Ferry Lake which is located between Bozeman and Helen along some random highways (for those who aren't familiar with the area). While I was laying on the beach trying to soak up some sun even though I am a ginger that doesn't tan and was surrounded by multiple families and groups of friends. Along the beach was a group of children playing in the sand and shouting to their friends swimming close to the shore. I heard a shout that was asking for help from drowning which caught my attention but was shortly lost after seeing the children laughing and pointing at their friend splashing about. Then the child in the water jumped up and walked along the bottom of the shallow water up onto land, so I turned back to my friends and continued my conversation.

"Help, I need help, I 'm bbbllmbble" (that is the sound of a muffled, cry bobbing in and out of water)

This cry caught my attention and was not about to lose it. I turned towards the water and noticed a man bobbling up and down, in and out of the water, waving his arms frantically. He reminded me of a bobber at the end of a rod being pulled under the water by a fish struggling to free its self from a death trap. Then I saw a man sprint towards the water and dive in. I quickly jumped to my feet and bolted to the water! I sloshed through the first shallow steps of the beach then plunged in, arms first above my head and started throwing my arms in front of me into the water pulling myself forward as fast and as hard as I could. ADRENALINE RUSH!!

During one of my strokes I saw out of the corner of my eye the large man that had dove into the water before me. Shit, I thought to myself, I am going to be out here by myself until that guy catches up to me. This thought was the only conscious one that I remember from the actual event because within seconds I had reached the flailing man who grabbed me instantly and began to push himself up by pushing me under water. I was able to get behind him where he could not reach me to pull himself up and flipped the two of us over so he was laying on his back, on my stomach. I started to order him loudly "just lay on your back and float, just try to relax and float I have you now. Good job, you're doing great. Just keep relaxing, great job, you're okay now."

At that point the other guy had caught up to us and had taken an arm as I took the other. We doggy paddled together at the same time dragging the exhausted man as if we was a water logged rope. Finally we reached shore after what seemed to be hours of swimming. By this time most of the beach had noticed what was happening and had rushed to our arriving point at the edge of the shore. The man that had swam with me then took over by wrapping his arms around the poor mans stomach, like a friend would do with an extremely drunk friend in need of a bed. They got the man seated and drinking water, and finally got the color to return to his face.

Oddly I nonchalantly walked back to my towel and laid down as if nothing had happened. The group I was surrounded by stared at me in silence with completely shocked faces. After I realized they were all standing at me I announced that I needed to get something from the camper. When I got to the camper my parents were inside and the second I saw them I starting bawling. I completely collapsed in their arms. I don't know why this was my reaction but there was nothing I could do but sob.

This obviously does not make me a hero that should be written about for years and years but for that day on the beach, for that very moment I got to discover how emotionally challenging it is to be heroic.