What is the difference between "nearly drowned" and "nearly rescued"?

Question

I am pondering over the meaning of the riddle: >Would you rather be nearly drowned or nearly rescued? Could some one explain the meaning of the two phrases "nearly drowned" & "nearly rescued" ? Also what does the riddle actually mean ?

Answer 1

"Nearly drowned" - the individual almost, but did not drowned.

"Nearly rescued" - the individual was almost rescued, maybe from drowning, but he/she was not rescued.

So the right answer to the riddle would be "nearly drowned", because it means that you were close to dying, but you did not. Whereas, being "nearly rescued" means that people didn't get to you in time.

Answer 2

If you nearly drown, then you almost drowned. You were rescued before you drowned.

If you are nearly rescued, then you were almost rescued. You died before you were rescued