溺おぼれ損そこなう

godan verb (-u)

nearly drown; come close to drowning

Describes a situation where someone almost drowns but survives. The verb 損なう adds the nuance of failing to complete the action, so it literally means 'fail to drown'.

• 彼かれは川かわで溺おぼれ損そこなったが、大だい事じには至いたらなかった。

  He nearly drowned in the river, but it wasn't serious.