I nearly drowned at my uncle's cottage when I was about 10 years old. I was swimming with my friends, and we were horsing around. I was underwater for a while, and when I came up, I found I couldn't and was caught under the dock. I'll tell you, nothing in my life has been so scary as having to take that first breath of lake water.
Thank god my uncle was nearby and able to recsusitate (sp) me.
Now that I look back, that cottage was nothing but trouble. It was there that I also needed 10 stitches in the bottom of my foot after stepping on a glass of booze and having it shatter under my foot. :Q