Dragoncrest Cliffs and be yourself my ally in love’s battle

To praphrase famous words by Mark Twain: the reports of Merlin's imminent death had been greatly exaggerated. 

What felt like hours for the drowning boy were exactly 2 minutes and 50 seconds, when his oxygen deprived brain decided that enough was enough and gave one solid kick to the consciousness. Get that bastard in working order again! And as per a favourite saying of the Narrator's teacher - "I have observed that students act faster, when you yell at them!" - something did happen. He opened his eyes, gasped, felt the burn of water in is upper airways and, when his flailing limbs hit the bottom of the seabed, Merlin knew that there was nowhere further he could fall. Up was the only way. 

Up he went then - less like a graceful mermaid, more like a paralytic old spider, panting (that was difficult to do) and farting (that was easier). He brushed someone past in his upward trajectory and then his head resurfaced finally. Coughing, splurting and paddling to keep himself afloat and taking time to figure out, what to do now. 

Ebony or anyone else too can come for a rescue and PP bringing the poor fellow to the shores.