“Help me!” I could feel my body tingling as I gasped for air and anxiously tried to touch the bottom. But the water was too deep and the waves too strong - I couldn’t swim back in. The crowded water made it almost impossible for anyone to hear my screams. Tears mixed with the water as I struggled to get back to shore. My sister, using all her strength, couldn’t pull me in - she would have been swept out too. The two of us, scared to death, kept screaming.

Splash. Another huge wave crashed over my head and pulled me under, my body tangling as I thrashed about trying to reach the surface. I made my way to the top, gasped for air, and then was pulled back under.

I turned onto my back and tried to float to regain some energy, but the waves were too large, making it impossible to stay still or afloat. My lungs were growing numb; I could barely breathe. I thought I was going to die!

Two girls playing on the sandbar tried pulling me onto it, but as a result they could no longer stand and began thrashing around themselves. Still struggling, screaming for the lifeguard, I used all my strength to swim toward shore. My body was aching; my strength was almost gone. All I could do was keep screaming and hope the lifeguard would hear me.

My hair tangled in my salt-stung eyes, blinding me. The deep water made it hard to see where I was and if I was close to the sandbar. Suddenly a man heard my screams and saw me struggling. He came rushing toward me. The waves acted as if they were his friend, carrying him toward me easily. When he got close, he grabbed my arm and calmly brought me to shore.

That man saved my life. My lungs still tingling, I thanked him, and with eyes now full of my own salty tears, I ran to my mom and told her everything. The waves that I had been playing in earlier had almost killed me. I was so happy to be alive and thankful for that man who saved my life, whoever he was!