A leap of death
Outline
- Introduction
- Background
- Zip lining adventure resulting to the danger
- Journey to the location for zip lining
- Arrival at the resort where I got hooked to the zip line
- Jumping down the zip line.
- Go to prove my friends wrong by taking the leap
- Danger strikes
- I couldn't get off the line because I was too scared to detatch
- Rescuers could no reach me without putting me at more risk
- My drop to safety
- Gave in to fatigue and finally calmed down
- Had to be resqued by divers
- Conclusion
Introduction
Out of all the experiences I have had while growing up, I will never forget the day curiosity almost killed this cat. Throughout my childhood, I was known as the careful and cautious boy who always worked with a plan. I rarely took risks and, even when I did, I would ponder long and hard about the consequences to determine if it was a risk worth taking. My friends have always complained that I take the fun out of everything with my cautious nature and always insisting on the safer options. It reached a point however, where they were determined to get me out of my comfort zone and make me face my fears. Their idea was for the group, me included, to go on an adventure and finish it all off with an evening of zip lining. While the whole idea started off as a dare, I got more curious as the fateful day drew near. By the time we were heading for the venue, I was more curious about the experience than I was scared of all the risks involved. Little did I know that my decision to embrace the unknown would place me in more danger than I could have ever imagined.
The day started off well and even with my tendency to evaluate all risks before engaging in an action, none of my analysis skills would have predicted the events that would unfold. After driving for what seemed like an eternity, we finally arrived at the resort offering a variety of outdoor activities, one ow which was zip lining. This specific resort however added on a twist to the experience in that; unlike most zip lining where the individual ends the thrill by safely reaching the ground where you get assisted from a team of professionals to disembark from the lines, the one I would soon embark on was quite different. Instead of making your way down the line and stopping when u reach the ground, the line at the resort was directed towards a lake where one would unclip the hook tied to the zip line and dive into the lake. As if sliding down a rope suspended a significant distance above the ground, with no parachute mind you, was not risky enough, I had to cope with all that fear and still unclip my hook to land in the lake.
I was however determined to prove them wrong and slide down the line despite being terrified by the idea. However, watching all the safety precautions that had been taken by the resort and the person hoking me up to the zip line reassured me of the safety involved. By the time he had finished hooking me up to the line, I was more curious than terrified and did not need a lot of motivation to take the leap and let gravity do its work. Once I was given the go ahead, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and jumped from the starting point. I remember looking back to see my friends cheer before I jumped, but the excitement I felt, seeing the look of surprise on their faces was overtaken by the rush of adrenalin, excitement and a hint of fear that hit me all at the same time. I started questioning my decision the minute my feet left the ground and could not hold back screams as I rushed down the line at an alarming speed.
Despite my initial fear of sliding down the zip line, I could not help but enjoy the feeling of rushing downwards with little control of what could happen. My enjoyment was however short lived as I soon reached the point where I was required to unclip the hook and plummet to the water beneath. Even after paying close attention to the instructor’s instructions, my mind went blank the minute I reached the point where I was to jump into the lake. Although I realized I had slowed down as I approached the lake, it did little to stop me from imagining the worst. I started picturing what would happen if I fell into the water. Would I be able to swim? Had the adrenalin taken up too much of my energy or would I be able to swim to shore? What was I thinking hooking up to this thing in the first place? My mind was full of questions that made it difficult to hear the instructions being screamed to me by the instructor and my friends.
What started off as an exciting game among friends quickly became an emergency situation as professionals had to be called in to help figure out how to get me down. The zip line had now come down to a stop and the only motion was caused by my movements and I cried for help. The risk was intensified by the fact that sending someone to unhook the clip for me could risk both of us plunging down while still attached to the cable in case it broke. The weight of two people may also alter the angle the line was placed in and this could result in me sliding down even further at the risk of missing the lake. The only option left was for the instructor to calm me down enough to allow me to unhook the clip on my own. This was however proving to be too difficult to a task because I was too scared to even entertain the idea of falling into the cold water.
After spending almost one hour suspended in the air, I was fatigued, scared and lacked the energy to hold on any longer. My fatigue was however an advantage as I lacked the energy to scream and call for help. This also meant that the instructors could now talk to me and I realized that they had been trying to show me what I had to do in order to set myself free. The issue was however far from being over as I was fully aware that I was too weak to swim. Even when I was guided on how to unhook the clip, a new problem arose where a boat needed to be close by with divers ready to pull me out of the water in case I drowned. After what felt like days suspended in the air, I finally managed to unclip the hook and fell into the water. The boat came close to where I fell and the divers pulled me in before taking me to safety. I could not help but let out a sigh of relief once my feet touched solid ground after disembarking from the boat. Even though the adventure did not go as planned, I scored major points with my friends as I was able to step out of my comfort zone and take a risk no one believed I would be able to.
