I was harassed by creepy men at the pool. Then one of them started drowning

The Disturbance at the Lane

I was doing warm-up laps at the community pool when a group of middle-aged men claimed the lane next to mine, immediately mocking my competitive one-piece swimsuit. They’d been day drinking and thought the pool was their personal entertainment venue.

“Hey sweetheart you know they make swimsuits that actually show your body right what are you Amish?” The loudest one wearing board shorts with flames on them whistled and said

“She’s probably hiding a terrible body under there that’s why they wear those things” His friend in the gold chain added

They laughed and high-fived like they’d said something clever. I kept swimming, but they decided to follow me to each lane I moved to, waiting until the teenage lifeguard went on break to escalate.

“Are you training for the nursing home Olympics” Flameshorts called out

“Real women wear bikinis you look like you’re going to a swim meet in 1952” He said

When I didn’t respond, he got louder.

“I’m talking to you didn’t your parents teach you manners or were they too busy making you dress like a nun” He said

Gold Chain decided to get in the water and swim directly behind me, trying to grab my ankle.

“Just want to help your technique” He said when I pulled away.

“You swim like you’ve never been in water before all tense and frigid i could loosen you up” He said

“She definitely needs a man to teach her how to move her body” His friends cheered from the side

Escalation and Harassment

When I got out to adjust my goggles, a third one with a beer gut blocked my path back to the pool.

“Where you going we’re just being friendly” He said

He stood so close I could smell the beer.

“You know if you smiled more and dressed better guys might actually want to talk to you you’re not ugly just boring” He said

He reached out and snapped my swimsuit strap hard enough to leave a mark.

“See much better when it shows some skin” He said

They started taking pictures of me without permission.

“Going to make a meme” Flameshorts announced

“World’s most uptight swimmer bet you’re a virgin who’s afraid of men” He said

They gathered around showing each other the photos, zooming in on my chest and butt.

“Look you can almost see a shape if you squint maybe there’s a woman under there after all” They said

When the new lifeguard, barely sixteen, tried to tell them to stop, they laughed and said his balls hadn’t dropped yet. A fourth friend showed up already drunk and they told him about the prude in the grandma suit.

He walked over and poured his beer on my head.

“Baptizing you into the fun club loosen up bitch” He said

When I wiped my eyes, he spoke again.

“Actually you look better all wet almost screwable if we put a bag on your personality.” He said

They all laughed and started rating what they’d need to change about me. Beer Gut decided to cannonball right next to me repeatedly, sending water up my nose and in my eyes.

When I coughed and sputtered, they all laughed.

“Can’t even handle a little splash some swimmer you are” They said

He did it harder each time.

“Maybe if you wore appropriate pool attire you’d be more fun that suit is dragging you down physically and socially” They said

Flameshorts grabbed my towel and threw it in the pool.

“Oops guess you’ll have to get out all wet now let’s see what that ugly suit looks like soaked” He said

When I retrieved it, he held it underwater with his foot.

“Come on just take the suit off we all know you want the attention stop playing hard to get we’re the only men here who’d even look at you” He said

Gold Chain noticed my car keys on my chair and grabbed them.

“Let’s see what the prude drives probably a minivan like a soccer mom” He said

He dangled them over the deep end.

“Maybe if you give us a little show take off that ugly suit i won’t drop these” He said

When I reached for them, he threw them in the pool.

“Fetch girl that’s the most action you’ll get all year” He said

They howled with laughter as I had to dive for my keys. They formed a circle around me in the shallow end when I came back up, not letting me leave.

Gold Chain reached underwater and grabbed my thigh.

“Just checking if there’s any muscle under there nope just soft and useless like the rest of you” He said

Beer Gut pulled at my suit straps while another one filmed.

“This would go viral prudish girl gets taught how to have fun at the pool you’re going to be famous as the most boring woman alive” They said

Flameshorts pushed me hard against the pool wall.

“You’ve been teasing us all day with your attitude acting superior when you’re just a stuckup bitch who can’t get laid” He said

He held me there while Gold Chain spoke.

“Maybe we should teach her a lesson about respecting men who are trying to be nice show her what she’s missing by being such a prude” Gold Chain said

“This is the kind of man you’ll never get,” Beer Gut said