What is the closest you have come to death?

[firemanjj82]

AtTheWall, I'm not sure how to respond to all of that, or any of this for that matter.

I can't think of any times where I was close to death. I guess I'm just waiting for that "one" time. In my profession, I see a lot of people dead from doing the same stuff I did as a kid and not giving an extra thought about it. I've bailed out of fast moving boats, climbed trees too high, fallen asleep while driving, had a shotgun pointed at me by a drunk hunter, given too must trust to people that I didn't really know, etc. I know there have been too many times where I have played with fire and have not been burned. I'll try to keep it that way too.

Actually, I remember choking at lunch with my oldest brother and parents in the Mess Hall at A&M by the Corp dorms. No air in or out, complete lock up. My mother freaked out, not sure what my dad did, but my brother hood slid across the table and Heimlich-ed me. Out came the food and then freaking out. Oh well, didn't keep me from eating ham steak though.

[bu2herndog]

RPG hitting under 50 yards from tent. Knocked me out of my cot and shrapnal all throught the tent. Got lucky at the priced of some spoiled boxers! Haha.

[SARSpecialist]

January 09, 2010 Responded to a House Fire with my VFD, I made a initial offensive interior attack with two other Fire Fighters, A few min later we heard the evacuation order as horns and sirens sounded outside; in just seconds a huge rush of hot air hit us and I heard a sound I will never forget as the roof collapsed. We were not far from the front door ( 50 – 60 feet) but it seemed like a mile. I was hit by part of the interior roof as I dove out the front door, my helmet was knocked off, my air pack was twisted on my body and my bunker pants had a large tear across my left leg but some how I landed outside and was trying to stand up when I was dragged by other Fire Fighters away from the house. The other two Fire Fighters exited seconds before I did and said they could not see me until I hit the ground in front of the house. That was the closest I had ever come to being seriously hurt at a fire in my 15 years on our Department.

[AtTheWall]

Thank you - I'll cover the 2nd round!


God Bless all!

Rob

[Darton]

Five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Fallujah is a whole other story. Life is a gift! Live it that way!

[Shake N' Bake]

Good stories!

[CM Sackett]

1965... 12 minutes flatlined. ER doc #1 gave up.

Thank God, #2 walking by, and hearing my mother's screams... did not.

[rossivey]

Was in a Ford Explorer my freshman year with two of my buddies when my buddy rolled it three times on a dirt road. Never been so scared in my life.

[Jeff_S]

I swam in to save a drowning elderly lady and her husband. She tried to crawl on top of me she was so scared. I didn't have the strength or the leverage to feel like I could knock her out after swimming so far. The last time she pushed me under I remember looking up as I tried to make it to the surface knowing that if she did it one more time that was it for me. I remember being disappointed that was how I was gonna go out. When she tried that last ime I pushed her away, grabbed her by her hair and put my hand in her face and bent her neck back to get her attention. I told her we were both about to die if she don't quit struggling. Somehow she quit which never happens and I was able to help her out and her husband. Her husband was easy to get he was so worn out he could barely struggle at all. I forgot to get their names when it was all over. We just sat there all three of us staring at the water. THis was at a very crowded swimming beach. I was disappointed at the amount of people who din't help. With just a couple other people it woulda been very easy.

[TexAg2002]

First I want to say thanks to all those who serve as soldiers, police, or firemen, whether on foreign shores, at sea, or here at home. Thank you and may God continue to watch over every one of you.

For me the closest I ever came was November 18, 1999 2:42 AM. That is when the Aggie bonfire collapsed killing 12 fellow aggies and wounding myself and 26 more. I had swapped places with someone earlier that night in order to be close to and keep an eye on my fish(corps freshman). It was the first time in 4 years of working on Bonfire that I ever moved down toward the bottom of stack. The top is where everyone wanted to be. You got the best view up there. That person did not make it. Gods hand was on me that night, and though I didn't understand it at the time(and in truth, still don't) I am eternally grateful every time I look into the eyes of my wife and son or see my son that is due in April kick.

[79F250]

Was driving one night when a deer ran in front of me. My thought was to slam on the breaks so I would miss the deer and not mess my grill on my truck. Well with an older truck without abs brakes it just locked up the back tires. I started fish tailing so I tried to correct it I over corrected next thing I know I'm going down the road sideways. My truck jumped up the curb and onto the dirt next to the road and the tires dug in and caught. When it caught it rolled once and I slammed into a tree. The tree hit right at the corner of the cab a few inches farther forward and I might not be here. I had to crawl out the passenger window. As soon as I got out and saw the damage of my truck I got really pi**** off so I punched my truck. Dang did that hurt my knuckles. Thank God for seat belts. My biggest injury was my knuckles from punching my truck. I wish I woulda just taken the deer out because it woulda been much cheaper to repair the grill then the whole entire body. I think God everyday for keeping me safe in that near death experience.

[Snacks]

When I was real young I was shooting bows with several friends, after we all shoot and went to retrieve our arrows one of the kids decided it would be ok to shoot while we were all down range, he shot and grazed the top of my head with his arrow, a little lower and it would have been bad news

[roguecraft101]

Closest I ever came to dieing was February 3 rd of last year was sitting behind an 18 wheeler with .my .pregnant fiancee when another 18 wheeler hit us from behind running 50 miles per hour plus my fiancee lost our son she was carrying and almost died her self as for me I was banged up busted shoulder and busted up right one and very bad seat belt burns

So sorry to hear this. =( Glad you and your wife pulled through.

[lesson 101]

Driving home on my hayabusa on my 23rd birthday, I was going about 70 in no hurry at all for I had to wait for my wife at the time to drop off the kids so we could head to the lease. I was behind a volunteer fire truck when he all of a sudden slammed on his brakes. I grabbed mine front and back, I was so hard on the front brakes that my back wheel was just hovering, quickly looked over and could not switch lanes then just before hitting the back of the truck he swerves hard then BOOM there it was... a green plastic seed spreader in the middle of my lane The very instant my front wheel touched it, it locked up and body slammed me on the highway. I hit so fast that I couldn't even let go of the handle bars to brace myself. As im sliding facedown I look back to see a van stopping traffic in my lane so I dont get hit by an oncoming car. I jumped up to try and pick up my bike and thats when I realized I was hurt. I fell to the ground and rolled to the median and laid there till the ambulance arrived. I broke my collar bone and pulled a muscle in neck. Not one single scratch or drop of blood. Thankful for the van that saved my life by stopping the cars that werent paying attention. I was wearing leather jacket, pants, boots, and helmet. As I always do. They save your hide on a scooter.

[whitetailfanatic]

I had a younger stepbrother get mad at me once and shoot at me with a 357 several times outside our house in San Antonio when i was a teen.
I was hanging duct work in the attic of a 2 story house when the floor below gave way and I fell 2 stories down onto a box of gas pipe and fittings, had to actually drive myself to the emergency room ,
but most recently I was removing a treestand, when i lost my hand hold and fell and almost impaled myself on the tree sticks,
And I wonder why I'm afraid of heights!