268. Shipwrecked: Write about being stranded somewhere – an island, a bus stop, etc.
In 1991, I went on a live-aboard dive trip that launched from Townsville, Queensland. The goal of this trip was to dive the SS Yongala which sank in a cyclone in 1911. Just previous to this trip, I was on a several day dive trip far out on the barrier reef so the wreck dive was a nice closure to a fun ocean experience. We had completed 3 previous dives for the day in the early morning, pre-lunch, and pre-dinner and planned a night time drift dive which is when the diver is transported by the water movement caused by ocean current. We were cautioned that the current was particularly strong and that we may need to abandon the dive if need be. Those of us who chose to do the dive climbed into the zodiac boat and were transported to the drop site. We all prepared to go in with the dive master expressing some hesitation about initiating the dive. We were to get in and hold onto the rope until everyone got in, then we’d let go together, descend and drift at the same time. I was the first one to get into the water to hold the rope but as the others began to join me, the current was so strong that I was ripped away from the rope. I could not swim up current back to the boat and rapidly watched the zodiac fade from view. I was terrified. I had a light and didn’t know how I was going to be found. I kept repeating: I’m not food, don’t eat me. I tried to stay calm and not thrash about but I was so scared.
I found out afterward that my fellow divers returned to the zodiac and prepared to find me. I was so relieved when I saw the boat lights come closer and finally picked me up. I don’t know how long I was out in the Coral Sea by myself, but it was too long. When we returned to the dive boat and I got to my room, I burst out crying from fear and relief. All the panic that I felt out on the water came out in my room. I didn’t have a particularly empathic cabin-mate so I was alone in my emotions. I haven’t been diving since.
