Chris Cooper's Story
We had gone to a State campout for NCHA and were going canoeing.
We were staying at Crazy Horse campgrounds. A lot of my relatives were there also;
my uncle, aunt, 3 cousins, and John's parents. My sister (Laura) and I were going
swimming with my cousins. It was about 50-65 degrees outside. We had been playing
in a cornfield for about an hour, when we decided to go swimming. We knew that the
water was going to be cold so we didn't change clothes. My cousin Lauren was wearing
a long sleeve shirt and blue jeans. Laura was wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans and
tennis shoes. I was wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans and cleats. Lauren and I were
racing across to the other side (of the river). When Lauren and I reached the other
side I heard Laura yelling 'Help!' I looked around, and saw Laura swimming rapidly
but she wasn't making any progress. I hadn't known that Laura got in the water.
I was already tired. I haven't been in Scouts long enough to take a swimming
rescue class. I didn't know that you were supposed to get someone drowning
from the back around the neck, so I went to pull Laura towards the shore.
Unexpectedly, she pushed me under. My cousin Lauren came to help me but she
got tired and swam away. I couldn't keep this up much longer. I told Laura
to stop yelling because she was wasting her breath yelling. I knew that if
I tried to reach her she would pull me back to her. I placed my foot under
a root and reached out to Laura; she pulled on me but pulled herself back to
shore. When she reached me it was still too deep for her, so I told her to
calm down, and I pulled her to shore.
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