A story. Dragged by the tide. A present

This afternoon I will let this text here, as a present for good students. I will remove it tomorrow.

In my numerous travels to Santiago de Compostela I have had many adventures. One of the most dangerous ones was five years ago.

Bustio and Deva River.

The day started well. I woke up at seven o'clock, I had breakfast and I rode on my bike. That day I had to cover 67 kilometers, from Santander to Bustio (the first town you find when entering in Asturias, comming from Cantabria) I crossed rivers, mountains, small villages... all along the N – 634 road. I arrived to Bustio in the afternoon, without any relevant incident. I left my bike and luggage in the hotel and I went for a walk along Deva river.

Deva River Mouth.

On one point I discovered a very beautiful place. The river was clean and clear, and it has a sandy beach. I was wearing my trunks, and the weather was fine; so I decided to have a bath just there. I climbed up a rock and I jumped in. I swam a little, enjoying the fresh water and relaxing my legs after a hard day of bike. Then I decided to turn back for reaching the river bank... But when I looked, I did not recognize the place. Scared, I looked river up... And I checked that the water flow has dragged me river down more than 100 meters in a few seconds!!! I swam with all my strength trying to reach the river bank; but it wasn't easy. The river was getting wider, and I noticed that I was arriving to the Cantabric sea. Finally I could reach the river bank just before arriving to the ocean. I grasped a tree root, I climbed it up and I could get out of there. I walked back; and I spent more than 20 minutes into arriving to the point in which I had jumped to the water.

Later, in a bar, I started chat with a couple of old grandpas. They told me that that afternoon the tide was going out; and for that reason the river flow has been so violent. They also told me that some people had died dragged by Deva river, precisely because of the mix of tide with the strength of the water flow.

That day I learnt a couple of things. First, to not swim in unknow rivers. And second, to not swim in a river close to the coast when the tide is going out.