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"My Almost Death Experience"
Cassandra Davenport
It was the summer of 2004, and I had never gone white water rafting before. I was living in Alabama at the time, and Tennessee was where we had just moved from about two years before this trip. My mother and I went to church as usual, and I went to the youth room as she went to her class. We came a little early, so I just sat and waited for everyone to come in.
When everyone finally came, our youth director stood up. He asked us, "What do you all want to do this summer?" No one could think of anything. So, he got to thinking and, finally, he said, "I have an idea. I got this paper in the mail the other day about this white water rafting place in Chattanooga."
We all took a minute to think and said, "That's a great idea! That would be fun." The church paid for the trip, and we only had to provide our breakfast and lunch wherever we stopped. The next week was when we left. I was excited, but since I had never been white water rafting I had no clue what I was excited for. I have two brothers that where living in Tennessee at the time who had gone rafting before, but I had never gone. I didn't know much about it.
Let's just say, it was rough water and there was some falling (out of the raft and going over water falls) involved. I'm getting ahead of myself though, so let me take you back to "the day." The day of the trip finally arrived; everyone was to meet at the church, load the bus, and be on our way. So, everyone showed up, loaded the bus, and headed to the Ocoee River.
When we arrived, everyone got off the bus and met one of the instructors who told us what safety precautions we needed to take in order to stay safe. Then, we split into four teams; each team had two adults and a guide. Our teams guide was so funny. So, everyone loaded in to their rafts.
Of course, when we arrived at the place I saw this big water fall. It wasn't tall length wise, but it was really long across. I thought that the water fall was so pretty until one of my teammates and close personal friends said, "We are going to go over that water fall in our raft." As soon as I heard that I wanted to run, run away, and run home. I didn't feel excited anymore. I thought I would die! I didn't know how to swim and that thought crossed my mind every second on the trip. I could doggy paddle, but that couldn't save my life. I knew what was going to happen to me. I could see my life flash before my eyes, and I could see me watching my own funeral. I was terrified.
There was a line that everyone had to wait in with their teams to go get their raft and get everyone on their team in it. Once in, they set the raft off in the water that went straight for the water fall. Of course, with my luck our team was next. I got in the boat, my heart pounding back and forth. They set us off in the water, and the water hit me and everyone as it splashed into our faces. We were coming closer to the water fall now when the guide was giving everyone directions of what to do.
I closed my eyes and my fear of going down that water fall just got worse. I couldn't run away, and I couldn't swim. I knew it was my time to go. The water rushed down the rocks. I sat there and just closed my eyes and held my breath thinking it was the end and that I was over. Then SPLASH!!!! We had made it over the water fall.
Now, we were in the raging waters. I open my eyes and finally breathed, glad the raft didn't tip over and everyone was still on it. We were on the raging waters for about fifteen minutes when the hardest part rushed towards us.
The water was rough, the guide was telling everyone to calm down, and I couldn't move. Finally, I snapped out of it and asked, "Are we going to tip over?"
The guide replied, "Probably."
Soon, the raft tipped over, and I knew I was under water. I held my nose as I tried to find my way out, but then I figured out the raft was tipped over on top of me. I thought to myself, “I'm going die." I couldn't get out! Suddenly, I felt something move across my leg, unable to see what it was because of my contacts. Finally, the guide tipped the raft back over, and I popped up and got back in it. Everyone was accounted for as they pulled us up out of the water. Soon, we returned to turn the raft dry off, and load the bus. Even though I was afraid I was going to die, I had fun with the experience, and now that I can swim, I want to go back. I will never forget the white water rafting trip!
Cassandra Davenport
It was the summer of 2004, and I had never gone white water rafting before. I was living in Alabama at the time, and Tennessee was where we had just moved from about two years before this trip. My mother and I went to church as usual, and I went to the youth room as she went to her class. We came a little early, so I just sat and waited for everyone to come in.
When everyone finally came, our youth director stood up. He asked us, "What do you all want to do this summer?" No one could think of anything. So, he got to thinking and, finally, he said, "I have an idea. I got this paper in the mail the other day about this white water rafting place in Chattanooga."
We all took a minute to think and said, "That's a great idea! That would be fun." The church paid for the trip, and we only had to provide our breakfast and lunch wherever we stopped. The next week was when we left. I was excited, but since I had never been white water rafting I had no clue what I was excited for. I have two brothers that where living in Tennessee at the time who had gone rafting before, but I had never gone. I didn't know much about it.
Let's just say, it was rough water and there was some falling (out of the raft and going over water falls) involved. I'm getting ahead of myself though, so let me take you back to "the day." The day of the trip finally arrived; everyone was to meet at the church, load the bus, and be on our way. So, everyone showed up, loaded the bus, and headed to the Ocoee River.
When we arrived, everyone got off the bus and met one of the instructors who told us what safety precautions we needed to take in order to stay safe. Then, we split into four teams; each team had two adults and a guide. Our teams guide was so funny. So, everyone loaded in to their rafts.
Of course, when we arrived at the place I saw this big water fall. It wasn't tall length wise, but it was really long across. I thought that the water fall was so pretty until one of my teammates and close personal friends said, "We are going to go over that water fall in our raft." As soon as I heard that I wanted to run, run away, and run home. I didn't feel excited anymore. I thought I would die! I didn't know how to swim and that thought crossed my mind every second on the trip. I could doggy paddle, but that couldn't save my life. I knew what was going to happen to me. I could see my life flash before my eyes, and I could see me watching my own funeral. I was terrified.
There was a line that everyone had to wait in with their teams to go get their raft and get everyone on their team in it. Once in, they set the raft off in the water that went straight for the water fall. Of course, with my luck our team was next. I got in the boat, my heart pounding back and forth. They set us off in the water, and the water hit me and everyone as it splashed into our faces. We were coming closer to the water fall now when the guide was giving everyone directions of what to do.
I closed my eyes and my fear of going down that water fall just got worse. I couldn't run away, and I couldn't swim. I knew it was my time to go. The water rushed down the rocks. I sat there and just closed my eyes and held my breath thinking it was the end and that I was over. Then SPLASH!!!! We had made it over the water fall.
Now, we were in the raging waters. I open my eyes and finally breathed, glad the raft didn't tip over and everyone was still on it. We were on the raging waters for about fifteen minutes when the hardest part rushed towards us.
The water was rough, the guide was telling everyone to calm down, and I couldn't move. Finally, I snapped out of it and asked, "Are we going to tip over?"
The guide replied, "Probably."
Soon, the raft tipped over, and I knew I was under water. I held my nose as I tried to find my way out, but then I figured out the raft was tipped over on top of me. I thought to myself, “I'm going die." I couldn't get out! Suddenly, I felt something move across my leg, unable to see what it was because of my contacts. Finally, the guide tipped the raft back over, and I popped up and got back in it. Everyone was accounted for as they pulled us up out of the water. Soon, we returned to turn the raft dry off, and load the bus. Even though I was afraid I was going to die, I had fun with the experience, and now that I can swim, I want to go back. I will never forget the white water rafting trip!