By Beverley Barden. Goulburn, NSW, Australia
“Hey, Nan,” came the terrified-sounding voice of my grandson, “I didn’t know snakes could swim, but a big tiger snake just swam across the dam near me while I was fishing!”
He was quite shaken by his sighting!
“I’ve never seen one swimming myself, Bailey, but my grandmother, Mattie, told how she was learning to swim in their dam when she was a teenager, and was bitten on the foot by a red-bellied black snake! There was no antivenin in those days, and she had to soak her foot for a couple of weeks frequently in warm, salty water before she recovered. She told us how her foot swelled massively and throbbed for ages. Apparently, because the bite happened in water, a lot of the venom would have washed away. Otherwise, it might have been a lot worse.”
“Wow,” said Bailey, “I never realised that could happen. Did she go back swimming again?”
“Funny you should ask that question,” I replied. “No, she was terrified after that and never learnt to swim or enjoy water again!”
“I had a scary water experience myself,” I continued. “When I was nine, I was having a holiday at my cousin’s property in Wagga, and they had a beautiful swimming area where the Murrumbidgee River flowed through their place. It was a favourite place for their family, and they would frequently take a picnic lunch and spend lots of time down there. There were lovely trees lining the water side. It was a great recreational place for them, and we went down there while I was staying with them. I guess they did realise I was a non-swimmer — my family were never into swimming pools, and as we lived in a fairly cold climate most of the year. My siblings and I were all non-swimmers.
“I was enjoying paddling about with my cousin — who could swim well. I waded out tentatively and suddenly landed in a pot hole, losing my ground base completely. It was so frightening, Bailey! I couldn’t get back to solid ground, and every time I came up I tried to call for help, but I just kept going under into the brown water!
“I was luckily rescued by my uncle and older cousin, but I really don’t remember much after that, so it must have been a close call!
“My parents used to recount the story to people at times, and would always state that they nearly lost their daughter to drowning. I got the impression I was lucky I didn’t die that day!”
“Is this why you don’t ever go swimming, Nan?” Bailey laughed.
Everyone knew I hated water immensely, and as my daughter and her family had a pool right next door to me, and really loved being in it day after day during the summer months, there was often a cheeky question: Come on Nan, jump in and cool off! Amid screams of laughter, another would say, I’m going to throw Nan in!
I’d laugh, too, but leave quickly in case frivolity got the better of them and I did wind up in the pool. I would joke that I might go and get into my ‘brand-new’ swimmers, with the tags still on, and possibly come back for a dip!
I did remember that horrible experience in Wagga, and was traumatised by it greatly. As a result, I made sure my daughters were all taught to swim well. They and their children have all loved water. So for that, I’m happy.
As for me, I’m happy keeping well clear of huge volumes of water for the rest of my life. A nice, warm bath is the only depth I really like, and if there is plenty of water, I might even be brave enough to fill the bath to the top!
