I took a certification class back around '95, and after the last day of class, we all went out to eat. While we were waiting for the food to be delivered, he told us about his experiences as a diver in Oklahoma lakes. One in particular stuck with me.
This was several years earlier, and he was diving with a tank that didn't have gauges, just what he called a "jiggle valve" (or something like that). He'd been down spearfishing for quite some time, and wasn't sure how long, so he was getting ready to head up when he speared an 18" catfish.
He was doing alright until he tried to pull it in; the catfish went berserk, stirring up the mud in an already murky lake, causing him to roll over onto his back, and, worst of all, knocking his mask loose and filling it up with the murky, muddy water. And to top it off, it was getting late in the day, so it was even darker than normal underwater.
So there he was, lying on his back on the bottom of a lake with his mask full of murk, no idea how much air he had left, and a speared, thoroughly PO'd catfish still flapping wildly at him.
With no small effort, he managed to shove the catfish far enough away that it was at least no longer physically assaulting him, but he was still having difficulty rolling over because of the weight of the tank and the awkwardness of the position. After repeatedly trying, he was about to give up and drop his gear, then come back for it later, when he gave it one last try and managed to roll over onto his belly. He then got his hands and knees under him and pushed himself up into a kneeling position...
...and his head came completely out of the water.
Yes, friends and neighbors, he had almost been drowned by an eighteen inch catfish in three feet of water.
