Sentence examples for i was drowning from inspiring English sources

The part of the sentence "I was drowning" is correct in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation in which someone was in danger of being overwhelmed by water, such as when they were in a body of water and not able to swim very well or at all. Example: I caught sight of my friend in the lake, waving his arms and struggling to stay afloat - I immediately understood he was drowning.