Fill in the blank (_) in the following sentence from the following choices.
Sentence: The whistle was blown over and over again but the man in the lake could only hear the splatter of the water because the _ is closer.

Choice 1: The whistle was blown over and over again but the man in the lake could only hear the splatter of the water because the splatter is closer.
Choice 2: The whistle was blown over and over again but the man in the lake could only hear the splatter of the water because the whistle is closer.
Which of the choices is correct? Respond with only "1" or "2" and no additional text.
1
1. The sentence is describing why the man in the lake couldn't hear the whistle, so the answer must be the thing that is