MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo Blue Eagles rookie Kieffer Alas said he was ready to accept his death after nearly drowning during their team-building activity in Dipaculao, Aurora last week.
Recounting the tragic incident that took the lives of his teammates Rene Baterbonia and Divine Adili on the "Let's Talk" podcast Tuesday, Alas said he felt like giving up after being submerged in the water for too long.
“My head wasn't clear because I didn't know what to do. It felt like I was underwater for more than 20 seconds. I felt like giving up," said Alas.
"I was really giving up. I was ready to accept that I might die. It felt like forever. Before I finally touched the ocean floor, time just seemed to keep stretching on. Then I finally felt the ocean floor.”
The 19-year-old cager shared how he survived despite not knowing how to swim.
"I jumped po and gasped for air, but the others were already far away from me... I was screaming for help... Malcolm (Tyler) went a bit closer to me and just kept screaming in my ear while saving Ian (Espinosa). It's like you were floating and it worked for a bit but it just kept bringing me further (from the shore)," shared Alas.
"So I tried doing a thing that I would lie flat whenever a wave came. Then when the wave passed, since I didn’t know how to swim, I would dog-paddle. I just kept repeating that because I had been in the water for so long.
"I just kept repeating that then I saw Sam (Reyes), I screamed for his name, we went to each other that's when we started paddling together back because I was really cramping up at that time."
