How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?
After his misadventure in the pool at the Y.M.C.A., Douglas was amidst the fear of water. He realised that his fishing trips, canoeing, swimming and boating were over. He tried his best to overcome it but the haunting fear of the water followed him everywhere. Finally he decided to engage an instructor to learn to swim and to overcome his fear. He went to the pool and practised for five days a week, an hour each day. The instructor put a belt around him and a rope was attached to the belt. The rope went through a pulley that ran an overhead cable. Douglas held one end of the rope and went back and forth across the pool. On each trip, some of the terror would seize him up. After three months, the tension began to decrease.
Piece by piece he shed the panic. He taught him to put his face under water and exhale. He also learnt how to raise his nose and inhale. This exercise was repeated hundreds of times.
Now he was able to shed part of the fear that seized him under water. He went to Lake Wentworth Triggs Island and Slamp Act Island. He swam two miles across the lake. Now he was determined and he swam on. He shouted with joy and he had conquered his fear of water.
