As we head into summer, it should serve as a timely reminder to make sure we are happy in the water.
My mishap happened when I was 8 and full of confidence around water. I was staying with my cousins at Fairlie in South Canterbury and we all headed to the river for a swim.
Little did I know there had been recent heavy rain and the river was flowing a bit more swiftly than usual.
The stones were pretty sharp under foot so I thought it was a good idea to wear my old basketball boots into the water. Big mistake.
The boots filled up with water, they got heavy and under I went. For the life of me I couldn't get back to the top. I could feel myself being pull down and flung around in the raging river. I'll never forget that feeling of panic. I honestly thought this was it.
What made it worse was I was flapping around for help but no one on the side of the river believed I was truly in trouble. They foolishly thought I was joking.
Eventually after a while, it became clear it was no joke and one of my cousin's older friends jumped in and heroically pulled me out.
Since that day, I haven't felt comfortable in the water. The minute I feel that ground disappear from under me, panic sets in again.
So, if it's okay to make resolutions at this time of year, I'm going to declare to do something this summer about my lack of water skills.
I'll aim to include my young daughter so she doesn't grow up having the same fears as me.