Your Near Death Experience

[JP33]

Thought it would be interesting to hear about your near death experiences. Pick the experience that almost took you, the one that still sends shivers up your spine.

I'll start: Happened last year. A tree company wanted me to remove bees from a tree limb overhanging a powerline approximately 45' above a concrete street.

The bucket I was in was resting against the bottom of the tree limb that housed the bees. I went up once to evaluate the situation and decided I needed more tools for the job, including a chainsaw.

The second trip up, right before starting up the saw, the bucket truck malfunctioned and the bucket I was in was being pushed up against the tree limb (tree was a live oak-they don't give much).

The bucket itself was fiberglass with a thick plastic sleeve inside of that. I could hear the bucket cracking and it began compressing, with me in it, squealing like a stuck pig at the two tree guys below me.

They finally figured out what was going on (mind you all this took place in mere seconds) and were able to hit the controls which broke the bucket loose, popping it downwards, then forward underneath the limb, like a slingshot. I had to duck down into the bucket very quickly to avoid a head on collision with the tree limb.

Some kind of way I managed to get to the ground in one piece, with the bucket literally hanging by a thread.

I firmly believe I was mere seconds from death. If I fell from the bucket onto the powerlines I would have been fried to a crisp, but if I was lucky enough to miss hitting the wires I would have stained the concrete, rather badly.

Would you believe one of the tree guys said "We have another truck we can bring over"

I said ,"No, I don't think so!"


So what's your near death story?


...JP

 

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I went through an intersection on a green light and immediately heard BAM!!! metal crunching, glass breaking, tires squealing. Someone came right through the intersection with a red light and hit the car RIGHT behind me. I have to go through that intersection twice a week and I'm always nervous.

 

[beakkeeper]

We almost slid under a moving semi truck on the interstate during a terrible icestorm five years ago...and I fell off a table when I was 12 weeks old and cracked my skull...but I'm OK now..

 

[Equus5O]

The one that always sticks out for me is the nutjob that had me pinned against a parked car, in the middle of the night. I could feel the tugging on my duty belt as he was trying to pull my weapon out of its holster. I had already called out a "Code 2" (which means HELP!!!), and lost my portable radio immediately after. The sound of sirens coming was so sweet! I remember hearing "Sandy! Where are you??!!" Need I say what a relief it was when they found me. It took about 10 guys to pull the whackadoodle off of me.

 

[Dar]

every time i get into the truck with DH driving my life flashes before my eyes...

 

[ChickBond 007]

Quote:

 

[PineappleMama]

I'm lucky I don't remember any of mine...

1st of course was mom getting hit by a car while pregnant... broken arm and leg, but I was okay...
2nd was being allergic to formula and losing half my body weight... back to hospital for incubation...
3rd was falling off the balcony and yes, landing on my head, on the concrete at age two (precisely why they have those patio bar size laws now)
4th was deciding to go swimming at 6am, suited up, unlocked the motel door, went off the board, sank like a rock, luckily the janitor saw me out of the corner of his eye and he dove in to save me.

Don't remember any of those events, but I do still get weird when under water and I open my eyes. I don't like the ocean... well or lakes just because they're icky... but especially the ocean because it's just too big and I feel too small. And I can't stand driving or otherwise being over water. I've woken up for a deep sleep on a trip when I knew we were on a bridge over water. Little weird, and if I ever want to see Ireland, l'talia, etc I'll have to get over it, but there it is. But, I'm a strong swimmer, particularly underwater... but I have to work at it.

But, I reckon surviving all that... well, I'm just a mom, so I guess it's one of my kids that will do something important...

 

[bumpershoot]

Many many years ago my husband and I were driving to our home in San Francisco from a visit to his parents in San Jose. We were in South San Francisco when in the middle of the freeway was a car that was dead directly in front of us. Because it was late my husband was able to avoid it by swerving and as we passed I watched as the driver GOT OUT of the car. Mere moments later the folks behind us slammed into the car, killing the person I am sure, and causing a major pile up. It was like watching the ocean hit the shore as there was all of the sudden this huge pile up of cars directly behind us. To this day I can see the whole thing clearly and it astonishes me how close we came to having our lives changed forever.

 

[bantamamba]

I have two that stick out.

1. Swimming in the "Wave Pool" at Wild Waters when I was a little kid, I went underwater and was trapped there for a few seconds by a bunch of people in tubes who had floated over me.
2. Was out riding with some friends and was unseated. Tumbling off in the manner I had, someone's horse freaked, whirled around and kicked me in the head as I was about to hit the ground. FORTUNATELY, I was wearing a helmet...but the dent was HUGE and the force of the blow had split this helmet right down the middle. And I still got a concussion. No doubt I'd be dead without that helmet.

Wear your helmets when riding, people!!

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I think I have too many to recount...


1. Huge bike wreck. I was going down the hill with a helmet on. My dad gave his "your-in-deep-trouble" whistle and scared me while I was going down the hill. Mind you, I was probably going 20 mph on this banana-seat bike. I slammed on the brakes...The bicycle went over me and landed on the nice grass, I landed head first on the asphalt. Concussion, broken out teeth, third degree burns on my forehead, arms and knees. I don't even remember going to the hospital. I remember waking up and my preacher was standing over me saying a prayer. The doctors told my parents if I hadn't been wearing the helmet, the least amount of damage would have been permanent brain damage.

2. I was swimming with my little cousin on my back in Florida. I went into the deep end and realized I wasn't strong enough to keep her afloat. I tried to swim to the side of the pool so she could get off. She latched on even harder. I remember everything going black and then lying on the side of the pool.

3. We'll skip where I ran my car into the neighbor's house...

4. A deer freakin' ran over me. I thought I was dead. You know, they get you down and THEN kill you!