Adrenaline Rush

Devil's Pool

Devil's Pool

"He came for a visit and stayed forever."

I read the writing on a plaque erected near the Devil's Pool.

A shiver went down my spine as if those words were prophetic somehow. For someone like me, someone who chased dreams of unique creatures and adrenaline highs, those words rand a silent warning in my mind. I could almost see myself being another victim of the Devil's Pool.

I shook my head, getting rid of those kinds of thoughts. You never should do something dangerous with a pessimistic mind frame. You either go in all guns blazing, condescendence wrapped around you like a cloak, knowing you could and would do this dangerous thing and emerge triumphant, or you didn't; in which case you needed to pack your things and go back to where you came from. Because if you didn't have the confidence that you could do it, then you were bound to make a mistake. In my line of work, mistakes might cost you your life.

I did my homework. I read all about the infamous Devil's Pool and the stories that surrounds it. Since 1959, 17 young people have lost their lives in the waters of Devil's Pool. Of these 17 deaths – some say the number is much higher – all, but one, have been young men. Like me. I was the perfect bait. While reckless behavior and treacherous currents may account for a number of drowning's in that one locations, the high number of deaths of young males in this swimming hole seems extraordinary.

The Devil's Pool is a small pool with normal currents – most of the time, that is at the end of a river that falls and creates Victoria Falls. Only a slippery, submerged lip of rock stands between the daring devils and a 100 meters drop over the world's largest waterfall.

At my 25 years, I did other more terrifying actions, but this one was a stunt for a movie, not one of my adrenaline seeking thrills.

I really wasn't expecting to have any problems with this stunt. It was one of the most simple stunts. I just needed to jump in the water, trying to save the main female protagonist and when I reached her, she was supposed to turn on me and tries to kill me, and all the while we were being swept by the current to out certain death. She, of course, will get the upper hand and while I am swept by the current, she would escape.

It was pretty simple and not very dangerous. But I had a weird feeling about everything. I was feeling watched by something that waited to see what I would do. As if it was waiting for me to do a wrong move so it could snatch me.

I didn't believe in supernatural things that lived among us, but I did believe in two beings, even though the other being didn't show itself to me.

Maybe this would be the moment when I will see the two of them together. I missed feeling the presence and seeing the beautiful creature that showed herself to me when I was full of adrenaline. I missed the feelings that I felt when she was around. I felt alive, really alive. And this was all it was about, wasn't it?

All these running after the next high, the next adrenaline inducing thrill, was basically my need, my love for feeling alive.

I shook my head, letting these thoughts wash over me like water going downstream. I could contemplate life some other time. In that moment, I had to get ready for a stunt, so that's what I did.

An hour later, I was in my diver's suite, a harness strapped around me and a rope waiting to be strapped to my harness. They were still shooting the scene that led to the protagonist falling in the water. So I was sitting in a chair, waiting patiently for my scene.

And that's when it happened. The main female lead fell in the water because her left foot slided on a slippery rock. She didn't know how to swim and wasn't wearing any protection. So I did the only thing I could do. I reacted. In two long strides I was at the river's bank. In the next second I dove in the water going after the girl who was panicking, hitting the water with her hands in a hysterical manner that didn't help her maintain her head above the water. If she kept that up, she would go over the lip of the Devil's Pool and be just another faithfully victim of the pool. I put more force behind my strides, feeling the adrenaline being released in my blood stream and give me strength to push myself faster.