I think the worst, most helpless mess I've ever put myself in was about 35yrs or so ago off the St. John's River in Fl. on an Island called The Bird Sanctuary.
Instead of going into all the details I'll just tell the worst part.
Me and a buddy were deer, hog and snipe hunting . We were in his air boat and had deer and hog hunted that morning then walked the marsh flats during the middle of the day shooting snipe. That afternoon we were back on the island deer and hog hunting. He went one way and I went another. lt was overcast and the island was flooded with water. 99% of it was under water. Only a very few hammocks were above ground. Feet were in about mid shin high water almost all the time.
I was still hunting away from an old woods trail that ran from one end of the island to the other. I had gone quiet a ways and was getting a little concerned about finding my way back. I didn't have a flashlight or compass with me, so I kept looking behind myself trying to remember land marks. I was walking the edge of a cypress swamp when I heard splashing way up ahead in the swamp. It was big animals and knew it had to be either deer or hogs running off. I eased into the swamp which was about knee deep and made my way toward the noise. I kept hearing splashing, but couldn't get close enough to see what it was. I'd get about 75ys to it and couldn't see anything...then finally saw a white tail loping through the cypress trees.
I was really getting concerned about it being close to dark and I knew I didn't know exactly how to get out of there..just had a feeling of which way I should go...but wasn't sure of that. The deer sighting kept pulling me in and before I knew it pre-dark was on me. I gave up and turned around, starting my way back out. In no time the water got deeper, deeper than I had walked through coming in. Every direction I went it kept getting deeper and the night kept getting darker. So dark in fact that it was a new moon and I absolutely could not see my hand in front of my face.
I soon found myself in water up to my chin. The swamp was clogged with water hyicents and they were bumping against my nose and face. I was holding my shotgun up over my head, sliding one foot ahead of the other so I wouldn't step in a hole over my head and trying to find shallow water.
This place was full of gators and poisonous snakes and I kept hearing animals or something splashing all around.
Finally, my lead foot slid upwards on the bottom and then the next step also. The water got shallow and I was in mid shin dept water again, but still didn't have a clue which way to go or where I was and it was pitch black dark and I had no light.
It was late enough now that I figured my friend must be back to the air boat so I fired 3 shots from my shotgun. Not long afterwards I hear an air boat start up and said to myself. “ He heard the shots and is coming to get me”, but then I hear another air boat crank up and another and they all heard on off out of hearing. Then a very short time later I hear a fourth crank up and it comes my way and my friend works his way towards me and picks me up.
