Saved

• Ella Camerotto, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2016

I ran along the scorching sand and fell into the water escaping the blazing sun. It was a 40 degree day and I was so happy to be swimming in cool water. Everybody seemed to have the same idea of coming here because the beach was packed with people. Waves splash over my head as I lay in shallow water.

"Come in, the water is beautiful!" I yell to my mum and dad.
"No thanks Kiara. I'll relax here with my book a bit longer. Be sure to not go out too far, you don't want to be saved by the life guards," mum replies.
"Ok," I sigh. So I continue enjoying the cool, salty water. I splash around in the waves and continuously call my parents to come in and play, but I become bored so I decide to go out deeper in the water, disobeying my mum. As the water gets higher on my body the waves get bigger and bigger.

I turn around facing the shore and realise that I am too far out and I was unable to stand. I start swimming back but I don't feel like I'm going anywhere. Waves are splashing over my head and it makes it hard for me to breathe. I wave my hand in air signalling the life guards that I am in trouble. I am being sucked out into the deep blue ocean and can't do anything. I swim for dear life but only go under water. As I'm sinking I see fish swimming around in the coral reef and seaweed swaying from side to side. Then I get picked up by my hair and pulled above the water, my body draping over a surf board. I cough up lots of water and then realise that it was a life guard who had saved me. He put me on his board and brought me back to shore. I get off the board but fall into the water. The man picks me up and runs me to the sand where my parents are waiting. He lays me on my side where I cough up even more water. "She needs to go hospital!" the life guard yells to his friend. "Quick, go to the tower and call them!"

In a few minutes the ambulance shows up and takes me to hospital. "What did I tell you?" growls my mum while we are in the ambulance.
"I'm sorry, I was getting bored," I reply.
"The main thing is that you are alive Kiara," my dad says.
The next day we go back to the beach to thank the life guards and give them a gift. I give my new hero, Justin, the biggest hug and thank him for saving my life.