Any near-death experiences(?)

[DaubsNU1]

What life-threatening situations have you encountered?

 

What saved you, or someone else?

 

Two come to mind:

• Mid 1970's, cousin was living with us...she was out one night at the disco...returned to the house after midnight...noticed a smell of rotten eggs...woke up my parents. Gas leak. Pretty sure she saved our bacon that night.
• Late 1980's my Dad and I were in an auto accident...and both walked away without a scratch. Firmly believe if my Dad had not been wearing his seat-belt, he would not have survived. My 1982 Chevy long bed, regular cab 4x4 had no air-bags.

[TnRiver46]

Learning to swim and went way too far (mom jumped in and got me )

 

3-4 bad car wrecks, somehow always unhurt 

 

I think @clayton86 may have the wildest tale I’ve heard 

[Scott F]

I’ve had 2. The first one happened back in 1959 when I was 4 years old. My family was at my aunts house. I saw a bowl of grapes on a table and put one in my mouth. Problem was they were made of wax, and I swallowed one. I was choking and no one knew what to do. (This was before anyone knew what the Heimlich Maneuver was) My cousin was a Boy Scout and used his training to dislodge the wax fruit which saved my life. He was written up in the paper and got an award from the President. 
The second time, I was in my boat with a friend. It was hot and neither of us were wearing life jackets. I started up the motor, pushed the throttle hard and before the boat got on plane and I could trim the motor up, one of my rods started falling out of the boat, as I reached for the rod, I loosened my grip on the wheel and it spun hard out of my hand. The boat turned hard right and we were both thrown out. Because I wasn’t wearing my life jacket, the kill switch didn’t shut the boat down. It was turning in a hard circle at nearly wide open throttle. Fortunately, we were thrown outside of the path of the boat. I’m not a strong swimmer but I was more concerned that my new Ranger was going to hit something than I was for my own safety. We were both picked up by other boaters and weren’t in the water long. Eventually, the boat ran out of gas and because we were a ways from shore, the boat didn’t hit anything. I learned a big lesson after that and NEVER ran the big motor without my life jacket and kill switch ever again. 

[casts_by_fly]

I’ve been in two roll over car accidents , once as a driver and once as a passenger. Barely a scratch on either but you wouldn’t guess it from the wreckage. No seatbelt in the one as a passenger (I was putting stuff in the back seat so we could stop and I’d drive (dad was getting tired and ultimately fell asleep). The one where I was driving was YDSL.

[Tackleholic]

Wade fishing in shoes and shorts, standing in ankle deep water, felt something on my leg, looked down to see that I was standing on the tail of a cottonmouth which was trying to climb up my leg;  moved my foot and it took off without biting.  I was about two hours from my car and another hour and a half from medical treatment.  Lucky.

[king fisher]

Ran over by a bull moose 5 miles from cabin no way to communicate with any one. Not due to be picked up for another month. Bruised and a broken finger.

 

Charged by brown bear at night while crossing a river. Shot bear.

 

In a plane crash I was not the pilot no one hurt. Plane totaled.

 

3 complete engine failures while piloting aircraft. One at worst possible time while taking off. No injuries to self or plane

 

Fell through ice while wearing snow shoes. Temperature was - 25 degrees 3 miles from cabin. Set land speed record.

 

broke up fight between Bait Monkey and my wife. Lasting emotional scars.

 

 

 

 

 

[gim]

3 minutes ago, king fisher said:

Set land speed record.

 

[OmegaDPW]

I was a police officer for over 20 years. Usually working the town and part of the county by myself most nights. Shot at twice over the years on traffic stops and both times the bullets missed me. Dealt with little thug gangs and the drug runners taking back roads and staying off the interstate. Things have sure changed in law enforcement today. I don't believe I could do it now, without getting arrested. 😉

[12poundbass]

Does stage 4 cancer count? If so put me down. 

[Fishingmickey]

     I have a couple, first one was in high school. We were on a field trip and had stopped at the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife refuge ( I think that is the right one ). To cut to the chase, my best friend and I decided to scale the 60' or so cliff by the river. It was pretty climable.  We both made it up easily and then when I stood up at the top of the cliff. My foot slipped in some loose sand. I fell off the cliff backwards. I turned a somersault while falling backwards and screaminng Ohhhhh Shoot. I landed smack on my backside on a slope of sand with my face about 6" from a 6-8" pine tree and my legs straddling the tree with absolute no damage done.

     Second time was when I flipped my Triumph TR7 end over end. I had fallen asleep driving home from work (late night) and went through a Farm to Market road "T "intersection. I woke up just as I was entering the intersection. I steered just enough to just missed a cluster of sign posts and telephone pole. The nose of the car hit the ditch and I think the car cartwheeled twice end over end. I cleared the barb wire fence without damaging it. The car ended up a 168' off the road upside down. I had a hell of a bloody nose. I remembered seeing blades of grass against the wind shield while my face was pressed against it. 

[Woody B]

One time comes to mind for me.  If I wouldn't have gotten killed I would have been badly injured.  

 

I had put new front axle universal joints in a Jeep Wagoneer.  (30+ years ago)  I was working in a flat bay.( a bay with no lift)  I had the front jacked up.  I had jack stands just sitting under it, but had it supported by my floor jack.  I was done with the job, except for putting the front wheels back on.  I decided I needed to check the lubricant level in the front differential.   My jack,  that had been supporting it for the entire job was in the say.  (while doing the actual job I wasn't under the vehicle, just beside it)   I put the jack stands that had been just sitting there so it "looked" safe under the front leaf springs and let the jack down.   I grabbed a 3/4inch/19 mm wrench to remove the plug to check the differential lube and slid under the vehicle.   The plug takes a 5/8-16mm wrench to remove it so I slid back out from under the vehicle to reach in my tool box and get the correct wrench.  As I stepped away from the vehicle it basically spit the jack stands out, crashing down to the floor, with not tires or wheels on it.   IF I would have had the correct size wrench I would have still been under it, and would have got crushed, resulting in death or serious injury.  Having the wrong size wrench saved me.   The thing is, I had done a BUNCH of them, and knew what size wrench I needed.   I'm a Christian, and I believe the Lord put the wrong size wrench in my hand.   

 

I don't have fear anything, including death, but I got sick on my stomach and threw up in the floor right in front of the Jeep after it came crashing to the ground.  

[Bird]

All near death experiences came in my youth and involved heavy alcohol use.

Most memorable and not something I'm proud of.

My girlfriend " wife for 38 years now " had a red Mustang and was at a big party in our small town.

Left drunk and totalled her car coming off the mountain, ran off the road into a large Oak tree, buckled the entire car and smashed the windshield.

Bought her a Toyota Celica to replace her mustang and ended up totalling that car while heavily intoxicated colliding into an RV.

There's more instances before I finally grew up but I'll refrain.

[Skunkmaster-k]

I pert near died when I saw the grocery bill this past month. 

[clayton86]

I’ve got 3 I suppose. The one I was tagged about that some of the long timers here know and probably the “worst”. 
 

5.5 years ago when working as a tow truck operator I was winching a car out of a ditch when a ‘99 F150 hit what we assume was the same black ice and spit out striking me. Shattered pelvis, ruptured liver, kidney, spleen, lung collapsed, fractured neck and TBI. Was in coma(induced) for 3 weeks. Made a full recovery and unless I told you you would never know I got hit by a truck 5 years ago limp is gone only thing I have to show from the accident so to speak is the scar from hip to hip from when they put the plate in to fix my pelvis. 
 

When I was doing commercial roofing I fell off a roof about 20’ when they had me lower a wheel barrel by hand since the crane was gone and it had to be taken off the roof. They said I was knocked out for a minute before coming to dusting my self off and going back to work haha but they stopped me and told me to go sit down. 
 

Then first day of summer break after 6th grade being young and dumb. Mudding on the 4 wheeler with best friend we decided it would be a good idea to hit a corn field that was flooded at top speed……wheeler hydro planed threw us off Clay went one way I went another. Wheeler landed on me upside down the curve on the seat is basically all that saved me. I didn’t have a scratch on me lots of mud but no injury’s. We found my glasses sticking up out of the mud where I must of face planted and glasses stayed and I kept going haha. 
 

3 accidents most recent one was worse. I think I’m invincible some times lol

[12poundbass]

@clayton86 have you done a family history check? Somewhere along the line you must have feline in you because it sure sounds like you have nine lives! 

[DaubsNU1]

@Woody B, the Good Lord was indeed watching over you that day!  WOW!

[Glenn]

Prostate cancer survivor. Does that count?

[slonezp]

I've been held up at gunpoint twice. 

[GreenPig]

-Couple 80+mph dirt bike crashes that I walked away from unscratched.

-A tree collided with my Blazer at 60 mph, uninjured.

-Fell 35 - 40' out of a tree, hit every branch, uninjured. No it wasn't an ugly tree.

-Dumped a 545 lb bench press on my ribs after completing it. Took a few days to take a full breath. Was actually thankful it was ribs and not my neck.

[flatcreek]

1.1972 as a point guard got ball stolen after a double team, chased guy to goal , went up high to block his shot under goal, he double pumps and his shoulder throws my body up under the rim and I land head first on wood court floor.Ambulance ride to hospital saved from seizure and head injury.

2.1982 one year after active duty in Marines was run off road and I wrapped my Chevrolet pickup around a pine tree, my head went through windshield, woke up after surgery in VA Hospital saved by Navy surgeon.

3. 1999 Survived Non Hodgkins Lymphoma on spine, had complications in hospital.

4.2014 slipped on silicone on metal roof , fell off roof and landed on concrete retaining wall, barely missing my head and shattered my hip.Had hip replacement after that.

5.2021 developed pneumonia from complications from Covid but survived.

6.June 2023 had 4 level lumbar fusion. One week after hospital release had to be readmittedfor dehydration complications but pulled through at emergency room.I’m doing fine now.

[Susky River Rat]

I raced motocross. At one time I almost became numb to risking life and limb. It was just another day. 

[DogBone_384]

In March 1976 I was bitten on the head by a German Shepherd.  It was 45 minutes to the nearest hospital.  I nearly bled out.

 

In June 1991 I hit a car on my M/C at highway speed.  My fault.

 

In April 2005 I fell off a 12' A-frame ladder that resulted in an open skull fracture and a few other broken/fractured bones/vertebrae.  The neurosurgeons told my wife/parents that if I lived, it was expected  that I would need to learn to walk/talk/etc. all over again.  I went back to the FD with Dr.'s blessing 3 months and 2 days after the accident.

 

Lastly, in October 2022 I was at work and had really bad heartburn that wouldn't go away.  Turns out it was a 95% blocked artery.  I had a stent put in 12 hours after the medics discovered it.  As an added bonus the surgical team hit me with the defibrillator while I was awake.  I went into V-fib when they were moving the stent into place.  Funny thing is that I've been an EMT for over 20 years and they don't teach 'heartburn' as an indication of a heart attack.

 

Still here, and still kickin'.

[Dwight Hottle]

Esophageal cancer survivor that endured 7.5 hour surgery to remove my esophagus & a small portion of my stomach & 17 lymph nodes then replacing the removed esophagus with reconstructed stomach tissue called a gastric pull-up. Excellent medical care by  Sylvester Cancer Center in Miami saved my bacon. 

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, flatcreek said:

1.1972 as a point guard got ball stolen after a double team, chased guy to goal , went up high to block his shot under goal, he double pumps and his shoulder throws my body up under the rim and I land head first on wood court floor.Ambulance ride to hospital saved from seizure and head injury.

2.1982 one year after active duty in Marines was run off road and I wrapped my Chevrolet pickup around a pine tree, my head went through windshield, woke up after surgery in VA Hospital saved by Navy surgeon.

3. 1999 Survived Non Hodgkins Lymphoma on spine, had complications in hospital.

4.2014 slipped on silicone on metal roof , fell off roof and landed on concrete retaining wall, barely missing my head and shattered my hip.Had hip replacement after that.

5.2021 developed pneumonia from complications from Covid but survived.

6.June 2023 had 4 level lumbar fusion. One week after hospital release had to be readmittedfor dehydration complications but pulled through at emergency room.I’m doing fine now.

You are a cat! 

[Tennessee Boy]

56 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

You are a cat! 

Or maybe a famous coyote