A man who almost drowned near Walpole Island last week said it's nothing short of a miracle he survived.
"The doctors brought my family into a room and told them to prepare for my funeral," a choked-up Steve Scott told Blackburn News.
Scott was rushed to the hospital in Wallaceburg after a late night boat ride almost turned tragic on August 22. According to Scott, he and his friend Dan went out on the Ecarte Channel near Walpole Island at around 11pm. Scott said he doesn't remember falling into the water or the following four days because he spent them in a coma.
While he can't recall exactly what happened, the teary-eyed Scott talked about how he would certainly have died if Dan hadn't made a special effort to save him. Scott said after falling into the water, Dan jumped in to save him, losing the boat in the channel as it floated away. Scott said Dan wasn't able to lift him out of the water, so he had to stay with Scott while the water temperature plummeted overnight.
"What he did was he laid there with me, put his arms around me and held me for six hours to keep my organs running," Scott said. "That's what kept me alive. He stuck his fingers down my throat to clear the water out and apparently I bit him a few times. Doctors said my body temperature was below 30 C and my vitals were almost nonexistent when they got me."
Scott said his friend couldn't go for help until the next morning because it was too dark and Dan didn't want to risk losing Scott back into the water. Once the sun started rising, Scott said Dan was able to lean him onto the shore and ran to ask people for help. While Dan was doing that, Scott drifted back into the water and Dan had to jump back in and drag him to shore again.
Paramedics arrived a short time later and took Scott to the hospital.
"They gave me a 10% to 20% chance of life," Scott said. "And I survived it."
According to Scott, the doctors in Wallaceburg had done everything they could to save him and thought he might have a better chance in Windsor, so he was airlifted to the city. Scott said his unconscious body was met by a team of specialists and after examining him, they weren't any more confident in his chances.
Scott says at that point, something unexpected happened.
"I awoke," Scott said. "I woke up with this tube down my throat and I started trying to pull it out. They were in absolute shock that I was even responding. They asked me to wiggle my toes and I did. They asked me to give them a thumbs up and I did. It was a miracle. I could overhear the doctor saying 'fascinating.' He had no words as to why I was alive."
Scott said he started to cry once he realized the severity of his situation and how lucky he was to be alive.
"The driver of the boat and the medical team are the reason I am alive and here today," Scott said.
In addition to having less than a quarter per cent chance of living, doctors told Scott's family he'd likely have permanent brain damage due to lack of oxygen if he did pull through. According to Scott, he is expected to make a full recovery with no long-term damage at all.
Scott said it was even more of an emotional roller coaster for his family than it was for him, though.
"They couldn't believe it because this doesn't happen to us. This is something you only see on the 'I Survived' TV show," Scott said. "They were wondering how they were going to afford my funeral. I had no [legal] will and we're not a very rich family."
Scott said the outpouring of support from friends, family and the community in general through social media has been almost incomprehensible. He said days later, he is still trying to come to terms with what happened.
"I was in the death ward. There were people around me dying and I walked away," said Scott. "I wasn't one of them."
Scott described the whole situation as a nightmare and, according to Scott, the terror hasn't stopped for his friend, Dan. Scott said he has reached out to his friend to thank him for saving his life. He was told by Dan's his wife that Dan hasn't been able to sleep since the incident and when he does, he has night terrors.
Scott isn't taking his situation for granted either. He completely understands any and all scrutiny for not following the rules of the water.
"I should have been wearing a life jacket," Scott said. "Both me and [Dan] acknowledge that and that was our fault. He is being charged for that and I fully intend on paying his fine. It is the least I can do for someone who saved my life. I understand people do stupid things and this was very stupid, but he redeemed himself in my eyes."
Scott urged people not to make the same mistake he did, to abide by the boating laws, and to prepare for the worst because not everyone will get bailed out by a miracle.
Scott specifically wanted to tell his side of the story because the police only released that Dan has been charged for failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of craft and persons on board. Scott felt that while the charges are just, people need to know how Dan went above and beyond to save his life.