What is the closest you have come to death?

[41Chevy]

Which time? Fell through the chimney hole on the third floor to the first floor of a condo we were building. Fell 30 feet from a tree house when young. Hit a dog on my Goldwing and pitched me off.

[Clintbow]

I have had two (2) experiences where I thought I was going to die. Both were in Africa. The first time I was kidnapped and held for ransom by a camel jockey near the pyramids. I was 18 years old and visiting there with my brother. We thought it would be fun to take a ride on a camel. My older brother paid the camel jockey. When it was my turn, we headed out into the Sahara Desert and when we were out of sight of my brother and taxi driver he grabbed my leg, flipped me upside down, started whipping the camel, and told me "you give me money or I not take you back"! We must have gone a half mile or more over sand dunes and a fast pace. My back was breaking pounding up and down on top of that camel. I gave him almost all my money before he slowed the camel down and released my leg. He had several knives on him. I was in shock and thought he was going to kill me.
The second time was in Zimbabwe. I was hunting with a friend and had become separated from the main hunting party. I was not allowed to have a gun with me since I was not hunting at the time (Zimbabwe law). We were hiking without any water and were about seven (7) miles from the land rover when my government guide grabbed me by my mouth from behind. I thought he was going to rob me, but he was covering my mouth to keep me quiet because a pride of lions was about 25 yards from us. He then loaded his 1913 Austrian built .308 Steyr bolt action rifle. Using that 3 shot gun on a pride of lions is like the proverbial "knife at a gun fight" situation. It scared the living _____ out of me. He said just keep moving and don't look at the lions. On the way back to the truck, I passed out from heat exhaustion. I had been hiking that day for 6 hours with no water. Our guide had run out of water due to shortages in supply (a typical situation for Zimbabwe) and I was not about to drink the chocolate colored water they were pulling out of a well. I spend the next 2 days drinking beer and rum instead of water because I knew it wasn't contaminated. Scary times in the Dark Continent.

[Speedgoat]

Afghanistan, 2004. It is still difficult to put words to it.

[DS_1974]

Was Thanksgiving break 1999 & headed home to Spring from SHSU & was riding my dirtbike back near a creek. On the way back home I would have to cross one normal road and go down it half a mile to get back to my parents house. I was going down it and had to stop before turning left as cars were coming from the other direction. While stopped for a few seconds a 78 year old man in a suburban driving 50 mph hit me from behind, said he never saw me, on a big orange KTM 250 wearing a bright orange helmet. Upon impact the bike flipped strait into the air and I went through his windshield, helmet split in 2 and when he slammed on his brakes I flew back off and landed in ditch 35 ft away. Whats crazy, is I was in shock and actually tried to get up after bc somehow a crazy chow dog had seen the wreck and attacked me while I was laying in ditch. Luckily a woman in a mini van had seen the wreck and pulled over calling 911 and had a broom in back of her car she started hitting the dog with to get him off me...so I had just gotten hit by a truck, then attacked by a **** dog at same time! I ended up blacking out for a few min. Was rushed to the hospital and stayed 2 days w several minor injuries inclu fractured cheeck bone, sprained knee and dislocated shoulder & concusion. If I hadnt had my helmet on my head would have exploded upon hitting his windshield, but luckily I came out of it with no major long term injuries, although my college basketball coach wasnt too happy, was out for 4 months.

Small world. I played baseball at Sam during that time. If you were on the basketball team, I probably know you

[DXT Steve]

I was riding a waverunner next to my my cousins boat.He was pulling another cousin on a knee board. My (now ex-wife) was on the front of the boat so I thought I would be funny and try to splash her. I didn't realize that my cousin didn't see me and he turned right into me. I went under the boat as the waverunner shot out. The boat was only a 16 foot aluminum with a 35 HP. As he hit me, I remember being stuck to the bottom of the boat and screaming under water waiting for the prop to hit me. He immediately threw the boat into neutral and then reverse causing the motor to fly out of the water as I passed out the back. I was in complete shock when they pulled me from the water with only a badly bruised arm where the front of the boat struck me.

[Clintbow]

After reading all these posts, I just want to say I'm glad everyone made it through some tough times. And a particular thanks to all the soldiers out there! Thanks for our freedom!!!

[DarrellS]

My Department was called to a Mutual Aid structure fire in 2006. Being the middle of a weekday both Departments were short handed (Volunteer). The fire was burning in an upstairs attic of a large home. A guy from the other Department and I were upstairs trying to get it undercontrol and had been fighting the fire for about 15 minutes when his low air alarm sounded. We made our way back downstairs and outside were I removed my helmet, hood and mask just in time to see the entire roof collapse on the end of the house where we been about 2 minutes before that. I am sure glad he was breathing harder than I was, probably saved my life.

[yazoomike]

Four wheeler rode me West of Ozona near Sheffield. Lacerations, broken neck, broken thumb, and hambergered face. I don't remember much but after a trip to Big Lake hospital and then the 6 1/2 hour ride home I hurt like *-*-.

[Centraltexan]

When I was two years old at the local pizza hut, I jerked away from my mother to go inside, well about the time I was crossing the parking lot, there was a lady cruising through looking for her boyfriend hit a speedbump. That was me!! The car somehow knocked me over and ran my leg over. Bones were sticking out of my leg in a couple different places. My mother had to take me to hospital 60 miles away.

[Goldeneagle]

Growing up in S.Dallas, every day was bad.

In 1980 I was BIG into scuba diving. Was at Possum Kingdom one weekend when we saw a boat go down. Rushed over and picked up 3 people out of the water. They said there was one more in the boat. I slammed my gear on and hit the water. Found the other person and did the buddy breathing thing until they calmed down. Being it was only 30ft of water, I took my tank off for them to use going up. I took a deep breath and handed it over. I didn't realize my foot was hung in some boat rigging. They took off and I was stuck. Friend of mine hit the water when I didn't come up with them and got me. I bought an octopus rig after that!

[meathunter]

Totally a couple of vehicles, been shot at, had a knife pulled on me in a fight, had a shotgun in my face when I was a bouncer.

[Monster 7]

Junior in high school day before deer season ,in a hurry to get home to go hunting, ran a stop sign on my Honda 350 motorcycle t boned a 59 4 door chevy hit in rear door vaulted over car at 60mph landed on crub with head no helment, needless to say i did not deer hunt that year. They totaled the car.

[bowhunterhelm]

http://www.statesman.com/news/local/austin-officer-fatally-shoots-gunman-police-say-1465261.html

Have had two very close calls with drunk drivers while on duty. One blew a stop sign without slowing a bit. Luckily I was doubled up that night and my partner screamed and I instinctively hit my brakes.

Had another drunk going the wrong way on Ben White. I was going 100+ enrote to a hot call. I looked to my computer screen to get updates in the call and caught white light in my peripheral vision. I looked up and we we're passing within inches. Sucked that entire seat up into my butt. Another officer behind me got him stopped and hauled to jail.

1995 in Biloxi I was working on the casino's. I had a hydraulic cylinder fall from the top of a crane. I was standing in the sand and heard and felt a thump. The cylinder was several hundred lbs, fell from about 80 feet and landed about 10 feet away.

Have another that I have to keep to myself. No offense.

[Tx_hunter89]

In 1996 I was 7 years old jumping cinder block and ply wood ramps on my bicycle. I figured I would get a longer running start then I had ever had before.i was pedaling faster than ever, hit the ramp, ramp fell apart. Back of my head came down on the end of the handle bar (no helmet of course), at the time i didn't think that it was that big of a deal, walked back to the house dad loaded me up and took me to MCA. My dad tells me that I scared the life out of him when we got to the hospital the reg lady was taking info when I started dry heaving, dad took me to the bathroom where I puked a few times then went completely limp and unresponsive. dad rushed back out where they took me straight back, the handle bars had pierced my skull and gone thru two of the three layers of membrane that surround your brain, one layer farther and I would more than likely not be here today. during surgery they had to dig rocks out of my head, they're in a pill bottle somewhere around here.

[back-woods-boy]

A few years ago we were first in Ladder on a working fire, chief ordered us to vent the roof. When I got to the ladder set by one of the guys the other showed up without the saw. This is when the ball started down hill. I put my maul in the middle of his chest and informed him he would use it. I didn't see time to return to the truck for the saw. While following him up the ladder and across the roof all I could do was dwell on his mistake and prep the chewing he was about to recieve. Half way to where he was cutting the roof gave under my feet. I will never forget what a hell that attic looked like. Fortunatly at almost an instant the attic door I fell on opened up and I fell through to the floor. I fell in the middle of the three guys on our Engine who were staring at me going "WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?!?!??!?" I quickly stated the roof help me up! I have learned and changed alot about my temper since that incident...