It's hard for me to discribe what I feel like when I start to drown. The first time I was swimming in a lake; I had a life jacket on but it didn't help, I still went under several times.
I swallowed a bunch of water and kept calling out for someone to help, it seemed like an eternity before someone pulled me out. It was almost like being held under the surface by some thing and not being able to think clear enough to swim to the dock. I felt as if my mind was going blank just as I was pulled out of the water.
The next time was at a pool. I was chasing after my older brother, he was on a raft, we went into the deep end. My brother stopped in the water, I grabbed at the raft, then he quickly swam away raft and all. There I was, in the deep end, the way I swam back then was if I could touch the bottom I was safe. I couldn't touch the bottom. I freaked, I went from swimming in one place to flailing in the water. I felt the same blankness, just as the same as in the lake, only this time the life gaurd only shouted asking if I was alright; I wasn't. When it seemed as if I was really going to drown, my brother came back, I grabbed onto the raft and was pulled to safety.
Some times I wish that I had experienced the near-death type drowning just so I could watch my childhood flash before me just to know if you can see if you remember the ages of 1-3.