A Memory Explained

When I was in Boy Scouts (yes, I can hear you all snickering right now, keep it to your cynical selves), the swim trainers always stressed how you to have to be very careful any attempt to help someone who is drowning. This is because that person becomes desperate, and will start flailing around and possibly drown you as you attempt to save them. One instructor I recall went so far as to say that you want to knock them out first, then pull them to shore.

Drowning can happen different ways. Sometimes, you may not be in any doubt as to what's happening. Sometimes you may suddenly find yourself in over you head.
Sometimes you can swim out of it. Sometimes, you may be caught in currents that you can't see, and aren't strong enough to swim out of on your own. If you are very lucky, you may get a helping hand. If you extremely fortunate, someone with compassion swims out to you. And sometimes the current holds only you, for whatever reason, and you have a choice to make. Take your rescuer with you, or let go, and take your chances with the current. Sometimes the decision gets made for you.