D.U.K.E. S1xE04: The Day of Rapid Currents

I almost died today. Nope, it's not a joke. It really felt like I almost died today...

16 HOURS AGO: Woke up at 5.30 in the morning. Was looking forward to the event of the day - WHITE WATER RAFTING! Having done the exciting one in Sg Padas in KK, and having one of our friends saying that it wasn't as exciting as the one back in Penisular, a bunch of us decided to rise to the occassion to challenge the currents in KKB (Kuala Kubu Baru).

15 HOURS AGO: We had a simple mamak breakfast of nasi lemak (I had extra half boiled eggs as usual). Before heading off to Rawang to wait for the rest of the people. We had about 19 people that day, and 8 of them are my Maxis colleagues.

14 HOURS AGO: We were waiting in the Rawang rest stop and joking away about "paying for the rain" and "Mr Wong vs Teoh See Weng"...

12 HOURS AGO: We reach our destination, we quickly geared up and listened to our briefing. We had to wait a fair bit as they had to change our boat (not sure why). I ended up in a boat with three other guys - Jae Sun, Terry and Ryan. Having the first two in the same boat almost felt like having Aaron and Jozzy on board, only about twice the fun!

10 HOURS AGO: It was fun! Unlike KK's teh tarik river, this one's much more clearer. But since, the water was bit low, we've got stuck quite a lot at the rocks and had to use our body's to change the balance of the boat a lot. It was really tiring, but much different experience. KK's water was about quick rapids. This one's about avoiding rocks and really steep drops. Some more, the river's quite narrow, unlike KK's wider flow. So, technique and team work plays an important row.

7 HOURS AGO: We reach this point where it's another steep drop. Think it's called Chicken Drop. As the the water's not that deep, the before us got stuck and had to slowly get out of the currents. Didn't seem dangerous. I was dead wrong. Well, the owner (I think) said to bring our paddles up and we'll hike down while the boat is carried down. Our guide, knowing that our boat's the pretty adventurous one, said we can do it. So we got onto the boat, and mind you, our boat is the smallest amongst the five, and most versatile and well, more unsteady as well.

The tactic was to paddle forward, kneel into the boat while hanging onto the ropes, and tip forward. We did just that. But we tipped too front. When the front of the boat got stuck on rocks as predicted, and we leaned forward as instructed, I think we leaned to front. The back of the boat came forward and tipped left side. All of us fell from the boat. The next 10 seconds felt like the closest call to death I can recall in my entire life.

I was pushed under current, and I tilted my leg forward. But the thing is, I can't surface! I can see the light, but I can surface. I can feel the super strong currents pushing me forward and down at the same time. I panicked as I was running out of air, and still I'm not surfacing. It felt like I'm dragged under and I scared I'm hooked onto something.

The worst happened, I ran out of air. I took in one gulp of water and I still wasn't surfacing. I wasn't sure I was moving forward or not, but I know this, I'm about to drown. It's amazing that what really ran through my mind at that point. Well, it wasn't a flash of my entire life, but at one moment I was thinking how to get out of this, but when that seemed like not going to happen, my mind flashed to "I shouldn't have done this" mode. I was like thinking how am I going to tell my parents and grandma (well, at that point it didn't registered that if i really died, how the world I'm supposed to do that).

And as suddenly as the drop into the water was, suddenly I can feel the surface coming up. I can feel the boat's rope. I tried to get up to the surface. I manage to. It was dark. It took another second to register's Ryan's face. We were under the capsize boat. I quickly got out. I took a deep breath (or a lot). By the time I was getting to the side shore nearby, I was a bit shaking. Jae Sun was clearly a bit shaken, but with a smile, he said, "Let's do that again". I didn't know how to respond. I just smiled.

I never really know why I was stuck under for so long. Maybe it was a short time, but in my panic it seem a long time. I don't know. I only know that I almost died today, and well, life's suddenly in a different perspective.

p/s I'm still planning to go back in Oct/Nov when the current is stronger... :P