"I cheated death today."
Jax Taylor has been through a lot on Vanderpump Rules: Nose jobs. Cheating scandals. Airport arrests. But in Monday night's episode, the Bravo reality star "cheated death" after almost drowning during a group trip to Big Bear.
After not being able to get his morning run in due to the high altitude, Jax decided to get in is workout with a swim instead. After being warned by Scheana's BF Rob Valeta to take it easy, Jax soon gets "winded" on his first lap to the buoy, explaining, "the pain is hitting me right in my chest."
Fortunately, there is a lifeguard, Matt, monitoring the lake, though he doesn't take Jax's plea for help seriously at first.
"Are you serious?" Matt asked. "Is he s—ting with us?"
No, he was not, as Jax said he thought he was going to die and was experiencing flashbacks of "all the people I'm never gonna see ever again…All the dumb s—t that I did."
Matt and Rob are able to pull Jax to safety, as Scheana, Lala Kent, Ariana Madix, Tom Sandoval and girlfriend Brittany Cartwright watch the rescue go down from the kitchen window and try not to laugh.
"That's hysterical," Lala said, with Scheana admonishing, " Don't laugh, someone almost died!" Of course, she immediately burst into laughter.
Jax wasn't laughing as much immediately after the incident, saying, "If there wasn't a lifeguard there, I wouldn't be here right now. And I'm a strong swimmer!"
Later on, though, Jax, 38, was able to find some humor in the situation.
"It is kind of a funny situation," he said. "I am a grown man who almost drown swimming a hundred yards. That was embarrassing."
Vanderpump Rules airs Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)