Chapter 15- Nearly Drowned at Salaman River

I will never forget the day I nearly drowned at Salaman River in Libak, Cotabato.

We were in school that morning. Earlier that day, we participated in our class discussion in history and literature. At 10:40 a.m. we were off. Our teacher had work somewhere. We were free for the rest of our class that morning. One of my friends made a proposal. “Since we have no classes until 1.30 pm, let’s go swimming. Salaman River is just near, about a kilometer away. We will go and swim until 12:00 noon. Then we eat lunch. And go back at 1:30 p.m. to attend our classes.” We accepted his proposal.

We proceeded to Salaman River. We were five close friends. I cannot remember anymore their names Even their images were now unclear. That was many years ago in1954. I was a first year high school. I arrived in Mindanao third week of May 1954. .

We have our lunch boxes. Most of us lived a bit far from the school. We started our walk to Salaman River. It was a new venture for me. I would join my classmates swimming in the river. Salaman River was about 1 ½ kilometers away from our school. I have never swum in a river with waters coming from the mountains.

In Carles we swam in the sea. There were no rivers with waters moving down to the sea. I learned to swim in the sea. We swam when the sea was calm and there was little ocean current. In our village in Dayhagan, Carles we can swim when there was low tide or high tide. On low tides, we go far, 150 meters from the shore and water was up to our head. During high tide, we got closer to the shore, just 25 meters and we swam all the way for the water was high

Salaman River is a wide and long river that traveled down from the east and flow down to the sea in the west. I did not know where the river originated. But I could see the river upon the mountains far away. I never knew where it passes until it reached the sea. Above the mountain ranges, we saw the vast virgin forest. Along the way, I saw Salaman River was covered with dense forests. The river’s sides were covered with lush and big timbers.

There were also bamboos growing on the river banks. On the left sides of the mountain, there were trees that were cut and burned by kaingeros and some mountain farmers. Some rattan vines were hanging way up on the trees on both sides of the river. The river was beautiful. It was about 100 meters wide. The water was only on the middle of the river. The water was only 50 meters wide. On the side were beautiful and clean sand. The water was very clear. It moves softly down. It was sweetly inviting me to swim. I look at the river again. One of my Muslim classmates called up. “ Boys here we are! What are you waiting! Come! Take off your clothes. Time now for swimming.”

We took off our clothes and throw them on the sand. I lay on the sand.

I crawled to the water. The water was very cold. We took a bath. The water was clear and fresh. I looked at the water. I saw my image under the water. I stood on the water about waist deep. I sat down on the water. I knew a little swimming.

In Carles, Iloilo, I swam on the seawater on the seashores. I have never experienced swimming on the river, sometimes with strong current.

My four classmates were playing on the water. Two of my classmates were Christians. Two were Muslims. We were very close friends.

They were all good swimmers, especially the Muslims. They were playing in the water. One was on the shoulders of the other. They were in a duel. One fell down on the water. But he moved fast and on the shoulder of the other again. They went with their duel of strength.

While they were playing, I swam to the middle of the river. I did not know that the current was strong. I realized the strength of the water current when carried down the river very fast. I stood but my foot did not reach the sand. I was carried by the moving water. The current was strong, moving down the river fast.

I struggled to swim back to the river bank. But, I was carried fast by the running water down the river. I shouted. “‘Help me. Help me. Please help me!” But my friends did not hear me. I waved my hands hoping my friends would see me. If they did not see me, I will be carried by the water down the river. I panicked. I was now carried helplessly down the river. I whispered a prayer. ‘Lord, please help me.’”

I was now about 200 hundred meters away from where my classmates were playing.

While I was carried by the water, I saw my friends running down the river. They saw me carried by the river. They ran fast to nearly 200 hundred meters from where I was. They tried to cordon the river, making sure they would reached me when I pass, carried by the water current.

About 50 meters away, I saw a big bunch of uprooted bamboos in the middle of the river. Only the roots were left, with few bamboo stems growing at the side. As I passed, I grabbed the bamboo stem and was able to hold it. hold on and slowly reached for the protruding bamboo about 1 meter long. I held on it and climbed the uprooted bamboos. I was saved. I thank God. Down the river, I saw big stones smashed by broken woods carried by strong river current.

My friends saw me at the top of the uprooted bamboo trunks. I was able to climb and saved myself.

Alone, I would not be able to return to the bank. But my classmates worked together to help me. My two Muslim classmates went down the water which was about three meters deep. One on top of the shoulders of others. My two Christian classmates stood on the shoulders of my two Muslim friends.

I leaped on the shoulders of my Christian friend who used all their strength to throw me to the side of the river where the water was shallow. I sat for a few minutes on the sand. I was still speechless. I was trembling but my fears had slowly gone. We celebrated our experiences that morning. We eat our lunch with fresh drinking water. Then we went back to school. We arrived in school at 1:30 p.m. that day.

My 4 classmates told our teachers how I was carried by the strong current. They said I saved myself. They just helped me get out of the deep river. The experience remained fresh in my mind. I never forget it. I never told my father and my uncles about it. The fears I experienced when I was carried helplessly by the river current down Salaman River, live fresh in my memory.

And always, I remember my prayer when I was carried helplessly by the water current. down Salaman River. "Lord, please save me!" And the Lord save me!

I have developed a very high regard for my Muslim and Catholic classmates. Years later, when I was studying at Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila, my roommate was Muslim. He was working with the Media Center near our boarding house in Intramuros, Manila. We became friends.

Every morning, he put his mat on the floor. Then, he knelt down and prayed. And in the evening when he returned from work, he placed his mat again on the floor, kneli down and prayed. That was part of the hard discipline of Muslims and their faith.

Looking at him, I thought, he was just like my Muslim classmates who helped me in Salaman River, where I nearly drowned.

1Wilson D Guanzon

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