I almost drowned once in a public swimming pool.  I was kicked in the diaphragm by an inconsiderate swimmer while turning and lost my breath, started the typical drowning response.<p>The worst part about it was that I was only a meter or two from the edge of the pool, but for the life of me, I just <i>could not</i> orient myself to move forward and grab it.  All my body was capable of was splashing my arms on top of the water and thrashing my legs to bob up and down vertically and get my breath.  Thankfully, pools aren&#x27;t too deep and I eventually managed to regain my senses, drop to the bottom and push off to the wall.<p>I was an older teenager at the time, so maybe I had a few more wits about me than younger kids, but it&#x27;s surprising how little it takes to drown.