Once upon a time I was landing a Glider having flown through a squall shower and was undershooting. With wet wings I was having to approach at around 65knots. On the final approach and just I started my flair through the corn tops around the perimeter track on the airfield I struck a large gang mower that was hidden by the corn.
Luckily I managed to keep the aircraft level but the fuselage was ripped open all along one side with several metal (and now very pointy) bars millimetres from my legs.
One false move resulting in a cartwheel at >50knots I suspect I'd have been toast. Worst of all was that my dad was watching from the landing area and couldn't do anything about it.
20-25mph down side of a dirt track, bush grabs handlebars and pulls bike down a ravine, i thankfully go straight on and end up futher down the track with only scrapes.
car turns right just as I'm about to cross junction - headfirst over bars, landed on back of head, hemet saved skull, cambelback saved spine
but the one that still gives me the shivers is the 100 ft fall down a mountainside whilst scrambling. Split leg, split side, grazed scalp and chipped coccyx. I remember thinking that I'll stop soon, but didn't, then realised that if I hit my head it could be bad, just at the point my head glanced off a pointy rock, couple of inches other way or slight angle change and rather than a graze it would have been a hole in my skull. Could sit down for 2 moths and not very good with exposure anymore.
being woken up whilst driving over the rumble strip on the motorway.
x2
Drove a car into oak tree at 80 mph. Luckily the tree was leaning in the direction of travel. The tree acted as a ramp and flipped the car onto it's roof. Then slid down the road, upside down into oncoming traffic. Luckily me a my friends all walked away.
Windsurfing at Sprecklesville, Maui early in the morning. Could hear loads of shouting from the beach, people shouting "shark!" Looked behind me to see a 3m tiger shark. Sailed on a little further pulled the gybe of my life with the shark in the middle of the turning circle (albeit quite a large circle 😉 ) then sailed back right up onto the beach. 2 days later snapped my mast in the same place I'd seen the shark. Had a very scary paddle back.
Returning from Sunday road ride. Got hit directly behind by a Texaco petrol tanker. Flew left and upwards and landed on the roof of a parked car. Feel off the roof, down into the gap between the car and moving lorry. The bike was ripped from my feet and somehow I didn't end up under the lorry with my bike. I ended up in the gap between the lorry's wheel and the parked car. I got up and walked away, sure I was dead. Thinking I'm travelling into the next realm or something. Then a bystander shouted, "He's alive!" at the point a massive rush of adrenalin hit me, the lorry driver turns up saying "Where the **** did you come from?" I then set about punching the lorry driver several times in the face. The police and ambulance turn up and look at me in disbelief that I walked away from getting run over by a petrol tanker.
Necrotizing fasciitis commonly known as flesh-eating disease - due to leaf mould entering wound when fell over on a wet root running in woods and got the scars - forever grateful to the x ray consultant who spotted the tell tale signs when reviewing the previous days plates with his students
I've run from the top of Static Peak in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming in a thunderstorm. We were lazy and set off about an hour late, and didn't make good time up the hike, so were still gathering at the top when the regular afternoon storm came through. Ended up getting an electric shock from a mate as we stood next to each other for a photo. (!?) We must have run for a good 2 miles off the peak back into the treeline. No idea how close we were to a strike, and no desire to repeat that.
Also, had hypothermia in the North York Moors. Day started out crisp and fresh, but turned to rain and hail. Got to the point of not shivering and collapsed in the car park.
Mother Nature eh 😉
antigee - MemberNecrotizing fasciitis commonly known as flesh-eating disease - due to leaf mould entering wound when fell over on a wet root running in woods and got the scars - forever grateful to the x ray consultant who spotted the tell tale signs when reviewing the previous days plates with his students
That right there ^^^ is scary shit indeed.
Driving home from work on a single carriageway road travelling about 45-50 mph and a single deck long bus ( massive old ones that collect school kids) pulls into my lane and hits me head on. Didn't even have time to press the brake pedal!! Impact was so strong my watch snapped off my wrist! Was driving a Clio and was well written off. I couldn't get out and thought it was on fire from all the smoke, luckily an off duty paramedic was a few cars behind me and helped me out. Strange thing was I only had minor bruising and a dodgy knee... In work the next day!! Stupid. Anyways the bus driver got a £200 fine and 9points idiot!!!!!
Static Peak in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The Tetons are awesome. I heard lightning strikes are common there.
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Windsurfing at Sprecklesville, Maui [b]early in the morning[/b]. Could hear loads of shouting from the beach, people shouting "shark!" Looked behind me to see a 3m tiger shark. Sailed on a little further pulled the gybe of my life with the shark in the middle of the turning circle (albeit quite a large circle ) then sailed back right up onto the beach. 2 days later snapped my mast in the same place I'd seen the shark. Had a very scary paddle back.
Personally I'd have been more worried about some of the local fisherman if it was before 11am. Sharks are all over the place out there but they rarely decide to see how windsurfers taste. We had a tiger siting on the beach I worked on in west Maui one day, the lifegaurds went out swimning with it. Great pictures.
There was one time though that tiger tried took a bite of some French guy at Lowers. He spat him out when he decided he didn't like the taste.
Necrotizing fasciitis commonly known as flesh-eating disease
GF told me how a patient died of that recently in LGI.
****ing awful disease.
10 years ago, on my way back to Wakefield from Huddersfield Uni, a young lady with less than adequate eyesight pulled out in front of me, resulting in me running straight into the side of her vectra, which I managed to write off. I was riding a hard tail Harley chop, with not much in the way of brakes, and had no chance of stopping in time. I ended up with three broken ribs, my pelvis broken in five places, and a heart attack at the scene of the accident due to trauma. Oh, and also managed to tear open my scrotum on the pike nuts on me top yoke!
It was a real good treat, mmm.
I was in 'Nam
Chippen'nam ?
fell when soloing a climb, reached out and grabbed the abseil rope hanging beside me, which did nothing other than burn the skin off my palm and fingers, landed in a big gorse bush 25 ft below. cuts and bruises, could have been worse.
also went down the tombstone bit of the Tryweryn upside down in a kayak
got lost in the sinai desert
all character building - the character being unpleasant.
Typhoid last year was grim. Thought I was dying at the time.
Caught in an avalanche, on my own, in Chamonix about 15 years ago. Really thought I was a gonner. Took me hours to dig myself out. Lay down and cried for about an hour once I was free.
Spun a car into oncoming traffic coming off a roundabout. Missed a car by a bawhair.
Doing 65mph on a motorway with a car overtaking me on the right. Car parked on the hard shoulder suddenly pulls away and into my lane when I'm less than 30 feet away from it when it pulls out. Couldn't pull out to the right and couldn't brake in time so swerved left and undertook them on the hard shoulder. The driver was an ancient old woman. About 30 seconds later I watched her swerve again and stuff a car into the central reservation.
Sharks are all over the place out there but they rarely decide to see how windsurfers taste.
Completely agree. However logic goes out the window when such a big fish is so near to you.
Maui locals far more scary than sharks.
Just remembered another one. Came round a corner in the Scottish Highlands on the way back from Skye to find somebody overtaking coming the other way. Full on the anchors, but it was clear the driver coming the other way wasn't going to manage to get back in before we had a head on. I put two wheels on the verge and we had 3 cars abreast "on" the road. Was shaking for ages after that one.
Lydden hill, coming out of the fastest corner, going in to the slowest - not much run off. Triumph 675, at a guess 130mph, may be a bit less - no front brakes.
Hit tyre wall at maybe 100mph or so - seemed I did the 'superman' impression I imagined myself doing. Photo evidence shows it was more 'rag doll'. Landed on my leg though "phew, that's ok" (though my leg had just broken nicely in the pics), then bounced on to my head/back etc.
Ended up with my head on (blind) apex of the opposite side of the track, with the race leaders approaching - thankfully they realised the race would be red flagged and took it easy.
http://paulosoxo.wordpress.com/
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This time a year ago, Guillain Barre Syndrome.
Still can't feel my feet!
Not that I [b]EVER[/b] mention it of course!
On the A3 southbound approx 1 mile south of the Hindhead cross raods . Waiting to turn right into the drive and got hit hard from behind by Transit van.
I had about 1/4 of a turn of lock on , and he hit the LHS of the car . Impact sent me sideways into the path of a car coming North up the A3 . Lady driver did not have time to reduce speed and hit my passenger door square on . This spun the car up the A3 and through 270'. Her car caught fire , I couldnt get out , she couldnt get out . The following drivers helped us out , and the Police were up at the petrol station 1/2 mile away and heard the bang . Nice traffic lady informed me she feared the worst as they came down the road and saw my car 'destroyed'.
The passenger door handle was touching the gear lever , no-one in the passenger seat . . .
Just whiplash and odd cuts and bruises and some lower back muscle damage as the seat collapsed , Lady driver broke lots of stuff, sternham , ribs , leg .
Once was walking along a new build block of flats on a windy day when a squall blew in . I crossed the road to the leeward side for some shelter and a 8ft x 4 ft sheet of ply came off the roof and smashed into the pavement directly across from where i was walking 5 seconds before. . .
I ate an out of date yoghurt once - that was hairy.
my closest shave with death was when i was about 11-12 year old and as kids we were always larking about on the moors with the latest trials bike me dad use to get us from time to time....anyway i got on the bike and reved the throttle up so high and couldnt turn it down agin ? think i was in first gear with bike whizzing round all over the place with my dad running top speed shouting "turn the throttle down"---"i cant" i shouted...lol....a nearby cliff edge was coming up-yikes...at which point the bike skidded on its side and i was thrown off the bike..lol...luckily i just had to have my little finger stitched up..... hahaha.... 😉 
My old man has had quite a few close calls. Mine have been doing dumb shit like falling out of trees, riding vert ramps without pads or a helmet and knocking myself out and so on. Nothing unusual.
Out on a night road ride a few years ago, climbing a steady hill with a left hand bend at the top, Renault 5 full of kids came too fast round it & bounced of the kerb which made him career onto my side of the road, by which time he was on his roof. Missed me by about 4ft. If I'd been doing 8mph instead of about 9 I'd have been cleaned out.
I also remember waking up when driving a car with headlights on full beam in my face - just managed get back on the right side of the raod - I had dozed off - that was a scare
Twice I have been on mountains were the next day people got killed in avalanches
In this picture
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You look a bit like
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Ooh, remembered another.
Driving somewhere along an A road in the Yorkshire moors one night about 10pm. It's dark and there's a car in front of me a good 4-5 car lengths away. All of a sudden the car in front of me veers off the road and I'm facing a set of headlights heading towards me on my side of the road. 😯
Swerved left and ended up in a ditch and the offending car passed right by. I can only assume they were either foreign or drunk.
Week ago last Saturday my bike buddy and I were on the road out of Swanage towards the chain ferry at Studland having just had a cake stop. We were making good headway with Steve taking the lead when my vision started going funny and I stopped. Vision cleared, I set off and it starts going funny again. Next thing I know I open my eyes and am looking at two paramedics and a policeman, ambulance slewed across the road one way and the police car blocking the other way. It appears that after the second time of feeling 'funny' I got off of my bike lay it down on the grass verge then lay down in the road. A motorist had found me and thought that I'd been the victim of a hit and run. Turns out I'd had a heart attack. My second. Stercus accidit.
You on the mend now keefus?
Age six, bad weather, so my father decided on the night before a family wedding that only he would go. Last time I saw him.
More recently...
Camping in the states, I got woken by a bear looking for food outside of my tent, not much fun, i'll tell you
People next to us had left their cool box out!
KT1973 - MemberI was in 'Nam
Posted 2 hours ago #
D28boy - Member
Chippen'nam ?
NottingNam mate. Rather not talk about it.
Thanks I am. Got the blue lights to Poole hospital then a transfer to Bournemouth for a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. Its a procedure that widens a narrowed coronary artery. Had three stents inserted in an artery, a second artery drilled out and another procedure done to my heart (all done whilst I was awake watching it going on ... really cool). Came out last Sat, got to stay off the bike(s) for about a month but I can handle that.(Just as well as I ordered a Canyon X9 two days before the myocardial infarction (heart attack)and its being delivered w/c 28th)
As an aside the doctor/surgeon said that had I not been as fit as I am I would have been a statistic years ago and that my mother was to blame cus she had angina.
BoardinBob
😆 Cheers!! 🙂
Mid-nineties was blatting over towards Birmingham on my Kawasaki z550. Going up the dual carriageway one lane was closing due to road works and cones formed an ever diminishing line into one lane on the inside. I went to pass a group of four or five cars before two lanes became one. Just as I pulled alongside the last car, for some inexplicable reason it veered right leaving me nowhere to go. I was doing about 80mph and clipped a roadwork sign with My right hand.
The sign actually hit my brake lever slamming it into the bar and into my fingers. The lever snapped and the sharp end cut off my right little finger. The impact also gave me a compound fracture to my right arm.
On later inspection off my bike,I found a huge vertical dent in the petrol tank, meaning that my bars and consequently my front wheel had slammed 90 degrees to the right. Despite all this, I didn't Come off the bike. Had I have done, I would naturally have been thrown left and under the cars I had just passed.
My finger hasn't grown back.......
Few years ago on my commute home on the fosse way Warwickshire. The road undulates quite a lot with long foods and rises. I was in a bit of a post-work thoughts session and it was very dark in early winter. I was following a huge artic up a hill which we crested. I drove this road every day and knew I was in a long straight undulation so I went for the passing move, only, I wasn't on the long section. I was on a short dip just before the long straight. This I knew because from out of nowhere I had headlights coming towards me. I dived left and scraped along the truck and the car flew through us smashing into my right side. Had I been further over, it could have been much worse. My fault though but gladly nobody injured.
30/40mph on a motorbike and came round a corner and lost the front wheel on something. Still unsure what(maybe diesel??) front wheel slipped and then hit the kerb. I went otb and then was thrown along a wall,into a lamppost and then onto a roadsign. Conscious throughout and when the music stopped I picked myself up and tried to get myself off the road but fell over. 3 times. Off to hospital and it was touch and go. The internal injuries were horrendous including a shattered spleen and massive bleeding. I had a shattered shoulder as well. So 1 metal plate,spleen removed,bone transplant and best of all a cathater inserted. I was in hospital a week. Had better days since then!
Couple of years ago, driving home with kids. Tyre goes, car slams into barrier & onto its roof. The sound of the kids screaming amidst the noise a car roof makes on the road.
An accidental starting of a lathe I was operating nearly did for me when I was 20.
A few storm situations in the mountains have had me worried.
A car narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with me this spring.
I managed to get hit by a badman on a motorbike whilst I was messing about in marrakech. I think I nearly died, I dont remember anything about it, thankfully my mate sorted everything out.
I have one memory from the 5 days I was "out" for, and that was waking up to vomit and piss everywhere. It was a cracking city break.
10 yrs ago driving home with the soon to be wife was hit head on by an uninsured driver who had been drinking and come round the corner and lost control on our side of the road(court case which he subsequently went to jail for the police had worked out his speed to be 85mph combined with ours it was over 100mph. car was a write off i was in the passenger side steering wheel went into chest so sternum an ribs went plus leg. wife no injuries part from bad bruising but car had to be cut apart to get her out. I still dont like going down that stretch of road both police and doctors said people dont normally survive that type of crash let alone walk away with so little injuries so thas why i like me biking just appreciate being able to do it.
October 5th 1999 my sister got on the 6:06 First Great Western train at Reading station headed for London. In her bag she had a letter giving her then employers her notice.
It started as an uneventful journey. Crowded as usual so her and her manager both stood up in the gangway between the front 2 carriages.
At 8.06 the crowded thames train to Bedwyn left platform 9 of Paddington station. It would never get there.
At 8:08:25am as the thames train passed under the Portobello bridge the newly qualified driver of the thames train missed a red signal, SN109, and proceeded onto the main down line. The approaching First Great Western train was on the main line travelling at about 80mph on a high speed approach to Paddington station. Shortly after 8:09 the trains collided. The closing speed at the point of impact is believed to have been approx 150mph.
The impact created a massive fireball as the diesel from both trains ignored on impact. The front engine of the FGW train was destroyed and the leading carriage was engulfed in flames. As this carriage derailed it twisted to the right and broke away from the next carriage which carried on through the fireball to come to a rest on its side further up the track. This left my sister on fire, lying on top of her boss in the boor way of this carriage. If she had rolled the other way she would have fallen onto the track and underneath coach g.
The chance that she fell one way rather than the other meant that she now holds a high up position with a major supermarket and was one of the 520 injuries rather than the 31 unfortunate souls who never made it to the destination or saw their loved ones again.
Reconstructive dental surgery and treatment for major burns meant quite a while before she was physically ok. A lot longer for the mental scars to heal.
The worst day of my life. Can't even begin to imagine how bad hers was.
17 years old, flying down a local hill with a mate, late evening getting quite dark, a couple of beers at the local. Half way down just round a slight bend a faint torch being waved in the middle of the road. On with the anchors flying past the torch bearer coming to half about 2 inches short of the live overhead power cables all across the road. A local dickhead (pissed) had ploughed his girlfriends car into the support post. I was luckier than 2 of the 3 nurses that were also in car that night 🙁 . That was a scene i never want to see again.
had a few close calls on my bike with cars and cliffs but managed to ride out or bail out before anything crazy happened but a couple of propper near death experiances
me and my dad 7 am mid january 1990 - aged 5. In the hall way doing up shoes to walk round to the child minders. My dads workboot shoe lace snapped
he tied the two bits together and started to tie his shoe laces. at this point an all mighty rumble started and lots of clattering - the tiles on the roof and decided they were coming off and slid down raining over the door way we would have been standing in had his shoe lace not snapped.
and earlier this year i was driving to work at 6.30am in the van doing 70 in the outside lane of the dual carridge way near the gleaner on the a90 overtaking a tractor
a tractor in the inside lane moved lanes without looking/indicating and was stradling both lanes as i was reaching him , i hit the brakes - no good looked for a way out due to the tillers on the back being at windscreen height, no room for the van on either side - ended up going through a gap in the central reservation meant for cars turning into the petrol station. ****ting the kerb(but managed to straighten the wheels so not to colapse the suspension) onto the south bound carridgeway and round a car which was in the outside lane on that side and back onto the central reservation before coming to a halt
i was just sitting on the central reservation(on the wrong side of the dual carridgeway) shaking for what seemed like ages till someone stopped.
tractor stopped and admitted he hadnt seen me and police werent too happy with him. I was raging !
Out all these posts does anyone feel they now appreciate life more? I always did but now more so.
This was mine:
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catapult video[/url]
I survived, but it killed the guy who went next:
[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2542973.stm ]BBC Human Catapult story[/url]
Still makes me sick to my boots whenever I think of it.
20/10/01.
I woke up in hospital some twelve hours after being knocked off my bike while crossing the A27 Tesco roundabout during the morning rush hour. I couldn't remember what had happened and strangely, nor could the many other drivers who must've seen the incident. Though largely unharmed, I had to have part of my ear sewn back togther and suffered severe headaches for ten weeks afterward. I was shown my helmet when I released myself from hospital the next day (they wanted to keep me for three days for observation) a third of it was sheared right off. I went cold when I thought that it might have been my head...
Helmets? I'd recommend them but would vigorously oppose compulsion.