Humanature Photography owner Bob Gassen lost more than a month of business, consciousness and has struggled to regain his strength and endurance after nearly dying when he fell into the waters of Puget Sound Aug. 19. But he still has his sense of humor and is starting to get back to normal.

“It is a hell of a way to lose 20 pounds,” Gassen said at his Redmond home. “I don’t recommend the near-drowning diet.”

He and his wife Mary are thankful for many things these days, including the outpouring of support from the Kirkland and Redmond communities during their time of need.

“It was very overwhelming and touching,” Mary said. “All the expressions of concern and thoughtfulness.”

When Bob was able to understand the outpouring from the community it was overwhelming.

“I was amazed when I got on my computer. All the emails and Facebook messages,” Bob said. “The cards and flowers and offers to cook meals for us from people we know and people we don’t. There were a lot of prayers and well wishes. It numbered in the high hundreds, if not in the thousands.”

Bob, who is a member of the Kirkland Rotary, was also overwhelmed when he returned for his first meeting.

“All 35 or 40 members welcomed me back individually. It was very emotional,” Bob said. “It is why I love Kirkland. It is a big city with a small-town feel. They really support their local merchants.”

The support helped pull Bob, Mary and their family through a tough month.

Bob was out on a sailboat with a friend in Tacoma when he fell backwards into the cold saltwater after helping to tie the boat to the dock.

“I remember being in the water and thrashing around,” Bob said. “It is much harder to swim with clothes on … I didn’t swim to the right boat. I was disoriented and hypothermia sets in pretty quick.”

He made it to an adjacent dock where some strangers pulled him out of the water. He was not breathing but had a pulse. His friend was able to get him breathing again.

“He gave me a couple three breaths. He saved my life,” Bob said. “The entire thing could have been prevented if I was wearing a life jacket.”

Bob would spend 10 days in the ICU at Tacoma General Hospital and at one point be given just a 10 percent chance of recovery. He was even put into a medically induced coma. One of his nurses later told him she was certain they would lose him at one point.

He does not remember much, like his brother from Indianapolis visiting him.

“He was here for four days,” he said. “I remember being brought out of it though.”

He has needed physical, speech and occupational therapy but the Redmond resident returned home just two days before his wife’s birthday.

“We haven’t really celebrated her birthday yet,” said Bob, who is 62. “And mine is coming up in a week or two.”

But then he had a setback when he noticed his arm was swelling up.

“It turned out I had blood clots and that was really hard because I had to go back into the hospital for four days … I am easing back into [work]. I had my first session on [Sept. 27],” said Bob, who will go back to work full time at Humanature by the end of October.

He missed the Concours d’elegance at the Lemay car museum, which he shoots every year, and many other scheduled shoots.

“Most of my customers said they would wait,” Bob said.

He said that he currently has between one and three doctor appointments every day and can lose his train of thought from time to time but that he is “still intact.” He is also glad to be out of the hospital and appreciates the little things a lot more.

Bob, who owns a boat himself, urges everyone to always wear their lifejackets.

He and Mary said they want to thank everyone for their support.