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Show 120 Jen's eyes looked like sprinkler water in the sun during summer. They absorbed all of the light in most rooms. After, I spent three days in my dry bathtub. On the third night I dove to the bottom of Utah Lake, which is only about eight feet deep. I held my breath and stayed as long as I could. Maybe a moment of unprecedented lightness, an unburdening, a soaring sensation; and then water all around them, inside of their bodies, and they drowned and wouldn't be found until the sun came up that morning. Drowning claims nearly 8,000 lives annually. It is the fourth leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Most drownings occur within a short distance of safety and can be prevented. For every drowning, there are 4 near drownings. Near drowning is survival or temporary survival that lasts longer than the 24-hour period after submersion. The tunnel was not a beautiful stretch of water. And even in the summer, the water was freezing. When you dove under, it felt like snow being funneled down your ears. At some point maybe all you can do is fall gracefully and far. |