Darren Sands, an Associated Press religion reporter based in Washington, D.C., vividly recalls the summer of 1992, which has left an indelible mark on his memory. He was just a child living in Roslyn. It was during this period that he had a life-altering experience when he was nine or 10 years old—one that involved a near-drowning incident at a summer camp.
“I was in this [day] camp,” Sands explained. “It was an indoor pool. Whoever saved me was on an upper tier, maybe in an office or something, and spotted me in the water.”
Sands recalls being on a field trip with the day camp. He recalls the day vividly, describing the scene in detail. [The day camp and pool location are not confirmed.]
“The pool was empty; there was no lifeguard. If there were, they wouldn’t have let me go into the deep end,” he said. Sands, feeling adventurous and exhilarated, decided to jump into the deep end, despite not being a strong swimmer. “Kids think they’re fearless, right? I thought I knew how to swim. I saw other kids doing it and thought I could do it too,” Sands recalled.
The pool was not supervised at the time, which added to the danger Sands faced. Suddenly, Sands found himself struggling to stay afloat.
“I was struggling to tread water. If I had been out there another 30 seconds longer, I might have panicked and exhausted myself,” he reflected.
The memory of that critical moment is still vivid for Sands.
“It felt like an hour, but it was probably just seconds. Someone from way up high saw me and jumped in to save me.”
Sands’ rescuer remains a mystery to this day though, a hero whose identity he has been trying to uncover for decades.
“I’ve thought about that instance a lot, but I’ve never necessarily thought about who the individual was,” he admitted. “If I could ever say hello to them and thank them, see how their life has been since that whole ordeal happened, it would mean a lot to me.”
The incident had a profound impact on Sands’ life. After that near-drowning experience and his family moving up to Boston, his mother enrolled him in formal swimming lessons at the local YMCA.
“I never really told her about that particular drowning incident because she would have freaked out,” Sands said. He went on to become a proficient swimmer, even joining a swim team.
Sands feels a strong sense of interconnectedness and the importance of recognizing the impact of random acts of kindness.
“As human beings, we’re all sort of interconnected,” he mused. “Random acts of kindness can have a profound impact. I think we need to be more thoughtful about how we acknowledge the people who make an impact on our lives.”
Sands hopes that by sharing his story, he can find his rescuer and express his gratitude.
“This person probably didn’t feel like they did anything heroic, but it was. They probably thought they did what anyone would have done,” he said. “There’s no way this person has forgotten the incident; 30 years later, our lives are still connected.”
Sands’ story is a testament to the enduring impact of acts of bravery and kindness, and his search for his rescuer is a poignant reminder of the deep connections we share as human beings.
Do you recall this incident in or near Roslyn back in the 1990s? Reach out to us with any tips.
