At YMCA swimming pool, when Douglas was thrown into the water, it affected him quite deeply. The experience scared him so much that he was unable to eat due to the haunting fear. He become wobbly in the knees and sick in the stomach and the slightest exertion tired him. Eventually, he developed a fear of water. Since he could not go near the water for many years, he was deprived of the joy of various water related activities, such as canoeing, boating, fishing, etc. in his adulthood.
