What is the closest to death you have come?

[Katsmeow]

Being robbed at knifepoint. I still remember the feel of the point of the knife on my chest as I looked down at it. My date (I was about 16) wanted to argue with the 3 thieves and claim he had no money. I thought that was stupid because who would go on a date without money? So I reached in my purse and shakily pulled out a $5 bill and gave it to them and they ran off...leaving behind the rest of my $75 paycheck I had cashed that day.

Then there was the time I was visiting on Los Angeles driving back to the city after visiting a friend about 40 miles away. It was sometime after midnight and suddenly the SUV in front of me spun out of control and just cartwheeled down the interstate (not sure what happened there). I just barely missed it.

[IBWino]

I was carjacked in a supermarket parking lot when I was 18 by a couple of thugs who beat me up pretty good and took me out in the boonies, where they said they were going dump my body after they "blew my head off" with a sawed off shot gun. Fortunately, they just dumped me and drove away. I eventually got the car back.

They were caught a few months later after beating another victim to near death with a tire iron, and went to prison for both crimes.

[hakuna matata]

Wow--you guys are all lucky to be alive!
That motorcycle thing was really the only time I felt my life was in danger. I have had some wrecks, etc. but none of them made me feel like I was close to death.

I am glad you all survived

[bbbamI]

I was a volunteer cop for nine and a half years. So pick a day...any day, and there you go.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigNick Today. Tomorrow I will be shorter of breath and one day closer. It says so here: YouTube - Pink Floyd - Time

+1

One of the best songs on one of the best albums of all time!

But I digress...

Circa 1972, I'm in the back seat of a Plymouth Satellite (or reasonable facsimile). Buddy driving, another buddy riding shotgun. Large quantity of beer (and possibly a bong) involved. Driving buddy heads out of town to crossroads with another highway, does a u-turn, then heads back for town, topping out around 130. As we near town, we navigate a slight curve left. The car leaves the pavement, on to the shoulder. The driver panics, and jerks the car back on the road. As we hit the edge ot the pavement, the car begins to spin out of control. We pass an oncoming car backwards, skid another donut or two, then come to rest in someone's front yard, only a few feet from a culvert...

Didn't really have time to be skeered...

[Major Tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyfishnevada Some friends and I caravaned up to Virginia City to see Haley's comet, so I was about 20. Unfortunatley, the sky was too cloudy, so we turned around and drove back. Another guy and I ended up racing down the hill. Lots of curves, very little guardrail. I went around a corner at about 60 MPH and hit black ice. I was headed for the edge of the highway, about to careen down a cliff. Next thing I know, I'm on the other side of the road, backed into an embankment. Don't know how it happened, but I should have dived off the cliff. I still get antsy on curvy roads.

I remember seeing a motorcycle lying on it's side about 20 years ago on the mountain road between Virginia City and Reno with no rider in sight. The edge of the road was a sheer drop.

[Major Tom]

Yet another motorcycle story here. About 15 years ago I was on Franklin westbound and stationary, at a stop light at the intersection of Franklin and Cahuenga in Hollywood. I was in between 2 lanes of traffic. When the light turned green I took off (too) quickly. A driver heading south on Cahuenga ran the red light and smashed into the side of a car which was heading east on Franklin. I jammed my brakes on so hard that I came off the bike, which landed on my leg. Luckily, the bike stopped before I hit the car but only just - it was a few feet in front of me. Another split second and I would have been toast.

A day or two later I saw a dead motorcyclist lying covered in a sheet on Sunset Blvd. Promptly freaked out and bought a Volvo.

[treypar]

I was scuba diving in the Florida keys. Upon driving home, I started getting dizzy which made me finally stop in Miami and check into a hotel. It got worse and finally I went to the hospital where I was immediately diagnosed with decompression sickness. At midnight I was sent by ambulance to the decompression chamber and spent 12 hours in there with a doctor. The doctor said that if I had not stopped and kept driving I would have probably died.

[BTravlin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI I was a volunteer cop for nine and a half years. So pick a day...any day, and there you go.

I've heard of rent-a-cops but what's a volunteer cop?

[RunningBum]

Ruptured appendix, stayed at home 2.5 days thinking it was a stomach flu. It ruptured in the middle of the night and flu was going around so I didn't realize the pain had come on suddenly. Later I read somewhere that the mortality rate for someone who went untreated that long was something like 20-30%.

Another time, I was skiing in upstate NY after only skiing in Colorado before, and didn't know how icy slopes could get. I lost an edge while going fast, and saw that I was headed towards a large snow making pipe and I remember it flashing through my mind that it would probably kill me. I managed to turn downhill some more, going faster but missing the pipe, and the next thing I saw was a fence post that I'd hit with my leg. I had time to think--broken leg--no death--take it. I hit right under the knee cap and only burst the sac, and the only break was the fence post. I was able to ski down and even made another run, because I was 25 and stubborn.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTravlin I've heard of rent-a-cops but what's a volunteer cop?

One that doesn't get paid......



It was a PR attempt from the police dept to start a citizen's police academy years ago. I went to the first one and loved it. I decided to be a volunteer cop...but after several years volunteering at the PD and at the court it was time for me to say bye bye...

[FIREd]

My dad nearly killed me. Several times.

My dad has a degenerative condition which seriously limits his field of vision. His peripheral vision is OK, but he can't see in front of him. And things get even dicier in low light conditions. My dad basically refused to admit he had a problem for years and kept on driving his car. He was a real danger to himself and others.

One night he gave us the ride of our lives. He was a bit tipsy from a party. The mountain road was dark and sinuous. A 100 ft. drop on the right and incoming traffic on the left. The car swerving erratically left and right. My sister and I screaming in the back. Him telling us to shut the f*** up. I still don't know how we made it alive. Soon after we took his license and car keys away.

[Surfdaddy]

2007. Perfectly healthy one day. Woke up next day with a urinary tract burning. Called the urologist, he prescribed an antibiotic over the phone. Took it and symptoms went away in 24 hrs, but over next few days started to have fevers. Was surfing internet at 6pm a couple days later, feeling ok, started getting chills, went to bed. Wife came in 2 hrs later and I had 105, shivering violently. She called 911. I awoke in ER, they were packing ice around me. I didn't remember how I got there (I had fire/ambulance take me). 105 fever, heart rate 160, bp 90/40 and falling. I was in bad shape but I was aware enough that I KNEW it was bad. I was in septic shock. Four days in ICU including a bout of pneumonia and trouble breathing. Scared the crap out of me. This has a 50% mortality rate.

I'm a lot less up tight about money than I used to be, and I appreciate every day. It changes you.

[Lisa99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FD My dad nearly killed me. Several times. My dad has a degenerative condition which seriously limits his field of vision. His peripheral vision is OK, but he can't see in front of him. And things get even dicier in low light conditions. My dad basically refused to admit he had a problem for years and kept on driving his car. He was a real danger to himself and others. One night he gave us the ride of our lives. He was a bit tipsy from a party. The mountain road was dark and sinuous. A 100 ft. drop on the right and incoming traffic on the left. The car swerving erratically left and right. My sister and I screaming in the back. Him telling us to shut the f*** up. I still don't know how we made it alive. Soon after we took his license and car keys away.

WOW! scary situation incredibly well written. I could see myself in that backseat scared to death!

[BUM]

P.F.C. to death more than once. Nuff said.

[LightningDawg]

1996. Critically ill with fluid around my lungs and heart.
Had to go to emergency surgery to drain the fluid from the pericardium.
Still on medication to this day....

[donheff]

Lots of motorcycle mishaps which is why I won't get one now even though I like them. Mine was in 1969. I was coming out of a 35 mile zone and when it kicked up to 65 the car ahead of me kept going slow. I saw a clear stretch in the left lane and goosed it around the car. Turns out he was going slow because the car in front of him was going slow because a couple of teen age girls in front of him were looking for their turn. They found it just before I came flying up (probably around 55 by then). I tried to bypass them but didn't make it. I broadsided the girls (scaring the hell out of them) and flew over their hood and off down the highway. No helmet, of course, but luckily I tucked me head to my chest and just slid along on my back. Ended up with a lot of cuts a bruises and a destroyed leather jacket but nothing serious. I was in a bit of shock - when the ambulance arrived I kept telling the guys to rurn off the ignition so the battery wouldn't drain on my wrecked bike.

[obgyn65]

Once during my teenage years I nearly fell into a ravine, actually had a foot in it. I guess I never fully recovered since I have recurrent dreams about this incident, possibly the result of PTSD. Just writing these lines gives me the goosebumps... I am a survivor ~

[Meadbh]

I almost drowned when I was about 9 years old. My friend's family invited me to go with them for a day at the beach. Trouble was, the beach they chose was one they didn't know, and it has a major undercurrent. We were swimming close to the shore and suddenly we were a long way from the beach and out of our depth. We swam frantically but could not make any headway. Luckily people on the beach heard our cries for help and several adults rushed in to pull us to safety. I never went under but I was very rattled. I never told my parents about this incident.

[Lakedog]

Like others, have had mishaps involving motorcycles and autos, but some of my closest calls were work related -- on large wildland fires had several but the two that I have no trouble recalling are:

-- Working at night, a large tree (snag) fell on me resulting in several injuries (fractured vertebrae, spinal cord contusion, fractured ribs, broken arm requiring plates/screws, other minor injuries) - fairly long recovery period. Felt very lucky to survive this one. After a couple of years, I was close to normal and could run/exercise again but even now I have occasional neck issues if I lift heavy objects or turn my head too quickly.

-- On another incident in CA, winds changed suddenly causing erratic fire activity which cut off escape routes, but having radio contact and the good fortune of air tankers and large helos working the fire, got retardant drops on us just in time.