The Day I Almost Died
How a close brush with death changed the way I approach risk forever
In August 2016, I was stung by a poisonous jellyfish whilst swimming off a beach in Thailand.
Unbeknown to me at the time, the next 24 hours would be a race to extract the poison from my leg before calamity struck.
A Close Brush with Death
It was a normal day in August. My girlfriend and I had flown out to Thailand for a few weeks over the summer break.
We headed out to the beach as any other day but opted for a different spot further around the coast. The water wasn’t as clear, and the beach was quiet. But being a great lover of all things aqua, I decided to head out anyway.
One of the locals told me that as long as I didn’t leave the coastline, I would be fine. This advice would come back to haunt me.
I headed out into the ocean and began my swim. I looked back to the shore occasionally to see my partner lying on the sand with a book in her hand.
After only a short swim, I decided to head back in when I felt a sudden sharp pain.
An electric shock feeling jolted my body and left me instantly weak.
My mind raced back to getting electrocuted as a child; I knew that feeling. I had been stung. And then stung again as it caught my foot.
I raced back to shore whilst panic set in. I had heard horror stories about Box jellyfish in Thailand and the tragedies that can follow.
I rushed onto the shore, signalling to my partner that I was hurt; although the pain wasn’t excruciating, the shock was very real.
Worse still, I had no way of knowing how dangerous the jellyfish was. But it didn’t take long for us to realise this was serious.
Moments later, my leg started to swell. The poisonous sacks began to appear like lacerations around my entire leg. Within minutes, I couldn’t bend my knee, and I started to feel my energy depleting.
An Australian couple were on the beach at the time. The woman came over and inspected my leg, insisting I attend the hospital immediately.
Her advice was well taken, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it made me even more anxious.
I tried to remain calm as we jumped in a cab and headed for the small local emergency room.
We headed into the waiting area, and it appeared as though the Dr was waiting for me to arrive. He wasn’t, but he must have been aware that such incidents could be deadly.
Because in no time, they rushed me into the back and began to get to work.
The Extraction
The staff used an anaesthetic to numb my leg and then began scraping out the poison.
I do my best to recall the events exactly, but memory can be a funny thing. I know there was vinegar involved and what looked like a metal card to scrape out the poison.
Not long after, the Dr used a cream and bandaged my entire leg. By this time, the situation felt under control, and my mind began to return to some sense of normality.
Although It wasn’t until what the Dr said next had I considered the gravity of the situation…
‘If this Jellyfish had gotten your torso, you could have died’.
I had to check myself. Did he say what I thought he said? Could I really have come that close to death from a simple decision to swim? Surely not, I told myself.
At that moment, the reality of the situation overcame me. The information I was processing seemed to affect me more than the event at the time.
I suddenly felt grateful.
I’m no scientist. I may never know what could have happened or whether the Jellyfish could, in fact, have killed me. But from what I have read, it’s possible.
The Jellyfish was a Box Jellyfish, notorious in Thailand and South East Asia. Killing upwards of 100 people per year (Source).
For the remainder of the holiday, my leg looked burnt. And for years that followed, the lacerations left visible scars that wrapped around my leg.
The incident is a reminder of the fragility of life. And when I reflect on the event, certain lessons always stand out in my mind.
Ignorance Can Be Bliss but Isn’t Always Wise
Looking back now, the gravity of the situation didn’t become apparent until the DR’s information.
Although in shock, it wasn’t until the Dr told me what could have been did it take me by surprise.
Life is like that.
We wander around in blissful ignorance of situations that are unravelling without our control. Only when we receive the information does it change our entire reality.
Uncomfortable truths are exactly that: uncomfortable. But without a clear picture, framing a clear solution is near impossible.
Seek to know the truth, however difficult or world-changing it may be.
Because this is where solutions and meaningful growth are waiting.
Take calculated risks
I was 19, naive and egotistical. I made a decision to swim in water that I couldn’t see, despite having an inclination toward the potential outcomes.
Now, several years on, my approach to risk has changed significantly.
Although it’s important to take risks, some are better avoided.
There’s a reason that insurance premiums are higher for young adults, and it isn’t because they’re not intelligent. It’s because they are less risk-averse.
Age, experience and wisdom can’t be bought, and it’s only with reflection that we see how our mistakes could have gone another way.
Know When to Act Slow and When to Act Fast
In my career in prison education, I coached student life skills. One key message was using mindful principles to help them accept their current situation.
And whilst I try to live life through a slow, methodical lens, I also know there are times when rapid action is the answer.
Study any military group, marital artist or first responder, and you will see they have a clear understanding of when to stay slow and when to act fast.
Having the ability to fluctuate between these two states can be life-saving.
If we wouldn't have acted sooner, I have no way of knowing what the outcome could have been. But I’m pleased that we didn’t wait to find out.
Be mindful of the now, but know when you need to act fast.
Why Not You?
The natural position for many of life’s calamities is to revert to why us? But the truth is, we should be saying why not us?
We hear information on the news about events and shocking outcomes. And until these events unravel before us, we like to think it won’t ever affect us.
But the truth is, live long enough, and we will all experience our share of hurt and tragedy.
I have a good friend who is a Dr and a long-standing Buddhist. When we discuss hurt, loss and the rollercoaster-like nature of life, she always leaves me with a point of wisdom.
Hopefully, I can leave this with you today:
‘The problem is, we expect not to suffer’
When we accept that suffering is part of life, we allow ourselves to move on.
On the other side of acceptance is emotional freedom from guilt, mistakes and loss. Or worry about what could have been.
Final Thoughts
Life is about risk. But not all risk is the same.
You can risk your money and time in business and investment, but health and safety should always be approached with pragmatism.
If there’s one thing you can’t afford to risk, it’s your health and well-being.
And sometimes, even a small decision to swim too far from the shore can cause life-changing outcomes.
Thanks for reading.
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