The mod intercepts the engine call that triggers "Wasted" upon water contact. Instead of dying instantly, Claude transitions into a swimming state.
Before we discuss the solution, it’s important to understand the history. In 2001, RenderWare (the game engine) had severe limitations. Water physics were a nightmare. Rather than program complex drowning animations, collision detection, and breath meters, Rockstar took a simpler route: water = death.
The official 10th Anniversary Edition (2011) and the 2015 Android port did nothing to fix this. Rockstar left the mechanic intact, arguing it was a "classic design choice."
But modders disagreed.
Since GTA 3 has no native swimming animation skeleton, most modders repurpose the "drowning struggle" animation or import lightweight animations from Vice City. You won’t get butterfly strokes, but you will see your character tread water and move slowly.