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StarSpangledGator t1_j9wadnx wrote

I don’t know, being narrowly saved from a rip current by my old man sure was cutting it close

148

cheeseIsNaturesFudge t1_j9x7jwz wrote

My dad caught me, hanging backwards over the edge himself, by the ankle as a toddler when I decided tipping backwards off a small bridge would be more fun than enjoying a juice sitting on the edge with him.

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Shadow_of_wwar t1_j9xhnb1 wrote

My dad was working on his van, and i had apparently found my way into the drivers seat, and somehow got it out of park as my dad is under the back half, he managed to get up before i basically tried to reverse over him, he somehow caught and held the truck instead of just getting run over, keeping me from just drifting into active traffic after smooshing him.

So he managed to prevent me from killing both him and myself at the age of 3

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Vladi_Sanovavich t1_j9yg67g wrote

>So he managed to prevent me from killing both his and myself at the age of 3

Honestly, I should be impressed. But I gotta say, that's too young of an age to be a dad.

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YooPersian t1_j9wak8v wrote

That's a good one. I once almost walked right into a speeding truck.

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lolisfunny13 t1_j9xyi94 wrote

Similar to me, but a really fast bike, i was about 8 or 9. Barely missed the really fast bike going in front of me by a fingers length

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Dongwaffler t1_j9xnsus wrote

I’ve been there. My older sis rescued me from one when we went on holiday. I think if I didn’t have a bodyboard attached to me I may not be here today.

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faciepalm t1_j9y70ok wrote

One time while I was three I would have still been underwater at the bottom of a river had a 7 year old not noticed I got nudged in by a dog, 20 metres away from the rest of the group.

Mum still reckons it's the most scared she has been in her life.

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[deleted] t1_j9wh5ms wrote

I wasn’t feeling well one day so I went to the ER. They did a CT scan of my abdomen and found a massive clot in the artery or that goes to my liver. Fortunately, my body created a new pathway around the clot so I was okay, but I was put on an anticoagulant to dissolve that one, as well as two others that were found in my leg.

It all worked out but it just amazes me to think about how close I was to having something seriously wrong. And I had absolutely no idea it was happening. I’m quite convinced that if I hadn’t had a random stomach ache that night, which was completely unrelated to the clots, I’d be dead right now.

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boxonhead11 t1_j9y3cnz wrote

My wife is an ER nurse and she has told me, on multiple occasions, about patients who come in because they “have a feeling”.

My biggest fear is that I don’t have the forethought to get myself to a hospital in your situation and I just try to tough it out or sleep it off.

My wife has said many times: “If that person hadn’t come in when they did, they would be dead right now”.

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WomenAreFemaleWhat t1_j9yypt5 wrote

Even if you do have the feeling, the hospital would probably just brush it off as anxiety and send you off. If it isn't easily identifiable you are fucked.

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Forsaken-Cow- t1_j9zfz8r wrote

Went to the ER somewhat recently because I was feeling “off” I assumed it was malnutrition because I hadn’t been eating very great. Turns out I was so dehydrated that the nurse couldn’t find my vein even with an infant IV needle and they had to do an ultrasound to give me a few bags of fluid.

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deez_nuts_730 t1_j9wwdzw wrote

I'm one of those actually that do. When I was 11, I was being a dumb fucking 11 year old. I was playing COD online and thought it would be cool to grab my father's .45 and mess around with it. Playing marine in the game and IRL, what could be cooler? I was messing around with my father's gun and died in the game. I pretended to shoot myself with the gun out of frustration, stupid kid stuff. Then I aimed the gun at the floor and pulled the trigger and it fired a round into the floor. To this day I swear when I was playing around and shot at myself I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. I don't know how or why I'm still alive, but I know for a fact I've never been closer to death than when I was pointing that loaded gun at myself thinking I was funny.

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-DethLok- t1_j9x89mx wrote

Lucky!!

And...

... Only in the USA...

How does an 11 year old have access to a loaded .45 pistol?

Aussie here, that father would be facing serious charges and lose their gun licence - assuming they had one in the first place.

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Blue-Jay42 t1_j9xut3z wrote

Depends on the state. In general, it's illegal for anyone to operate a weapon until the age of 18 (with exception if you are 13 and supervised) but most jurisdictions place the blame on the parents, and they would get in trouble. Notable though, having access to something is often argued in court about "access" means.

There was one case of a court ruling that a parent was neglectful for allowing access to a gun, but the gun was unloaded and locked in a safe. Since the kid was able to crack the code to the safe, and figured out how to load the gun. Don't remember what state that was. Probably New York or California.

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Belteshazzar98 t1_j9y2rr8 wrote

They would be facing heavy charges here in the US too. They just aren't going to get caught unless someone actually dies or is injured by their kid using the gun.

0

DetectiveWonderful42 t1_j9xsht7 wrote

I was in detox one time when I was younger for a bad Xanax addiction. My room mate for those 3 days was an alcoholic who had planned to kill himself . He planned to , he layed a tarp down on the patio of his parents house so they wouldn’t have to clean the mess . He had a gun (I forget what type but it was a shotgun) and put it in his mouth and pulled the trigger. It jammed .

I slept next to him thinking about that every night . It made my problems seem smaller than some else’s and began my journey with meditation .

Glad your hear with us friend .

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Shreddersson t1_j9xuisb wrote

Bro death brought the whole stadium to your show and every time you were pulling the trigger they were "Oooo Aaaaa whaaaa haaaa"

3

Beavur t1_j9wo6hb wrote

I do! I got way too blackout drunk and my sister made me roll over on my side to sleep. When I woke up I had thrown up all over didn’t even realize. Could have choked to death

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justalucky_ducky t1_j9xis96 wrote

When I was the drunkest I've ever been I was laying on my back in bed seconds away from sleep. Sat up suddenly and puked all over my bed. All I could think was oh my god, imagine if I'd fallen asleep first.

I don't count it as a near death experience but your story reminded me of it

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Beavur t1_j9xj9np wrote

Yeah scary stuff. I was asleep and passed out on my back she forced me to get on my side when I kept trying to just fall back asleep. I count it because I threw up in my sleep.

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justalucky_ducky t1_j9xjtkq wrote

Yeah for sure. Really great you had someone looking out for you

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Beavur t1_j9xjy3p wrote

Yeah she also woke up out of sleep at 2 am to come get me because I could not walk and my girlfriend couldn’t lift me by herself

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RocketScientistToBe t1_j9waa06 wrote

There was this question some time ago about statistics you'd like to see at the end of your life and this was my favorite. Those times that maybe someone only just saw you overtaking them and they didn't pull over into you at high speeds.

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misoranomegami t1_j9xiaxx wrote

Randomly started throwing up about a year and a half ago. First time didn't think too much of it. 2nd time 3 weeks later it was so bad I couldn't even keep water down, went to a doc in the box and they said better go get your appendix checked at the ER just in case even though I had no abdominal pain. Went to the ER, they did an MRI and some blood work, said don't see any issues, probably just food poisoning and prescribed me an anti nausea medicine. 3rd time about another 3 weeks later called my dr and asked about back to back food poisoning and she told me there was a listeria outbreak and to keep taking my ER medicine. 4th time 2 weeks after that I was in the middle of the El Paso desert and just figured I was really dehydrated.

2 weeks after that I got back home from the middle of nowhere El Paso on Friday, Saturday evening I started throwing up again. By Sunday I had mild muscle soreness but no distinct pain or fever but I was sick of it. Went back to the ER, they did more blood work said they didn't see anything, ended up with a sonogram and the found gall stones but no sign of infection. The ER doctor came in and said it was possible one of the smaller stones was intermittently blocking the duct and it was causing me to throw up until it popped back free. Also that any other time in her 15+ years of being an ER doctor she'd tell me to go home and schedule a follow up with my PCP and see if it would be worth having my gallbladder taken out electively to prevent that from happening BUT this was during the 3rd wave of COVID outbreaks and she said for the first time in 6 months she had 3 beds available so if I was willing to go ahead with the surgery she'd grab one of the ones in the trauma ward for me and I could have it out as day surgery in the morning, but I'd have to stay the night or there'd be no guarantee I'd still have the spot in the morning.

Several family members had their gallbladders out so I figured what the hell, let's get it over with and agreed. They took me upstairs, gave me a general round of antibiotics for a typical surgery and ran more blood work. At 9am they took me downstairs for 10am surgery. The plan was to take about 60-90 min and check out of the hospital by 2pm. At 4pm I wake up my hospital room, with IV's in both arms, and a surgeon sitting by my bedside. Not only was my gallbladder infected which didn't show up in any of the tests or the scans, it ruptured on the operating table. My 60 min day surgery turned into a 5 hour long all hands on deck with a final count of either 5 or 6 trauma surgeons playing hungry hungry hippos with my abdomen trying to get all the stones out. I spent 3 days in the hospital on high powered antibiotics before they kicked me out with a walker to go home and spend another week in bed with high powered antibiotics and pain killer because COVID numbers were up and they wanted me as far from the hospital as possible.

But I tell people if your organs are going to randomly explode, then while you're already unconscious on the operating table of a level 1 trauma center is the place for it to happen!

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--newTAl-- t1_j9w66m3 wrote

unless you have a couple suicide attempts under your belt. can't even do that right though can I?

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I_SUCK_DOG_COCKS t1_j9wnyus wrote

awww don’t say that. practice makes perfect! <3

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-DethLok- t1_j9x8bu0 wrote

...

I don't want to comment on the name, but...

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--newTAl-- t1_j9wobig wrote

thanks man I needed to hear that. people keep saying I have a such a bright future ahead of me. I haven't been able to do it yet but one of these days I'll be hanging from the ceiling like a light bulb to fulfill my destiny

3

I_SUCK_DOG_COCKS t1_j9wp2gv wrote

in all seriousness, hang in there. i’m in the same boat, but the powers that be would absolutely love for us to all off ourselves. you should keep on living out of spite and have the best goddamn life you can manage

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-DethLok- t1_j9x8f5r wrote

Uh, maybe try to be an enlightening force for the better in your home, locality and society?

Good luck, best wishes.

1

denofmark t1_j9wxz9z wrote

My guy you sound like a friend of mine with 8 attempted suicides, and here I am with just 1 and I couldn’t even complexity go through with it smh

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AceOfDiamonds676 t1_j9x9i5e wrote

dude my ex is on like fucking 14 now, and I can barely relapse

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denofmark t1_j9ybzav wrote

FOURTEEN? Good lord, my freind once slit his throat and has said he has no idea how he’s alive and that he’s really lucky, and he’s an amazing person so I’m just gonna say it’s good karma, although he’s really open about it I still don’t know the exact reasons other than Abusive girlfriend.

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AceOfDiamonds676 t1_j9ymibp wrote

yeah, 14. I think once or twice was while we were together, and I felt like shit bc of it

1

hecatesoap t1_j9y5sfg wrote

When I was about eight, I was playing in my backyard. An SUV rolled to a stop near the kitchen garden area. The people inside the car started asking me where to find different places around town. I told them I didn’t know.

They asked me to come closer to the car.

I wouldn’t.

They demanded I come closer so they could “show me something”.

I shook my head no and backed away.

They drove away when they saw my mom stepping outside to find me. Only a few years ago I realized that they would have kidnapped me if I had approached the car.

Teach your children: Adults never ask kids for help.

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Jelly_Sky1990 t1_j9xhet1 wrote

Was bitten by a spider and the resulting infection started to run up my arm. Kind of weird to actually see the thing that will kill you running through your veins. Ive seen it in movies and thought it was exaggerated. Nope! Not an exaggeration.

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Jimmigill t1_j9w9tnv wrote

Most in this subreddit think it's the moment between heartbeats or breaths.

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ReasonPuzzleheaded27 t1_j9wbrlg wrote

Well let’s see - there was that time when I was 17 and I fell asleep in the fast lane on a freeway in SoCal, I woke up when my wheel bounced me off the center divider, which caused the very full ashtray to explode in a huge ash and butt plume, and I somehow gained control of the car (my mom’s!), pulled off the freeway at the next exit, got out expecting to see the driver’s side smashed up and….nothing. Not a scratch. Pretty close to dying, and pretty damn lucky I didn’t. Was wide awake the rest of the hour drive home. But had to explain why the front seats were covered in ash and butts the next day.

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Fit-Performer-996 t1_ja1uh7q wrote

since it was a divided freeway and you couldn't just drift to the wrong side, its very unlikely you would've died

1

sj4iy t1_j9xoiay wrote

Oh I definitely know the closest I’ve been. I went into the ER with my blood pressure 50/30 and my heart rate at 230bpm because of not one, but two autoimmune diseases. I was on the verge of a stroke.

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SdotPEE24 t1_j9wviaf wrote

Almost in a helicopter crash. Mfer was filled with people and out gear. Pilot tries to take straight off. Helicopter pitches to one side. Luckily the tires hit the ground before the blades and chewed it apart. Pilot learned his lesson

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-DethLok- t1_j9x81se wrote

Falling while climbing a cliff face and grabbing a fortunately well rooted bush? Yep!

Coming off my dirt bike at 15 and waking an hour or so later, seeing my left motocross boot ripped nearly in half, despite no damage to my foot, or rest of body (apart from concussion) Yep!

On my bicycle waiting at a stop light for the light to turn green and being rammed by a car behind me deciding not to turn right from the right turn lane, trashing my bike yet... I didn't even fall off it. Yep!

And several incidents in the other 3 decades, so far...

So, not every occasion, but I recall a few where I could have ceased.

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The_Ratt-Lord t1_j9x09gb wrote

That's why I show them. Unrelated question, can you look down the barrel of this gun to see if the bullet is stuck?

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J2thaG t1_j9xkvtl wrote

I dunno, dude was shooting right at me, not sure how he missed with that many shots, lol

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MurtadhaPrince t1_j9z2m8x wrote

elaborate???

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J2thaG t1_ja1elzv wrote

I was at a bar, on the back patio, you have to cross the patio from the bar to get to the bathrooms. I was walking back to the bar from the bathrooms, about halfway across the patio and a man with a revolver stepped out of the bar and began firing. Not directly at me per se, but I was alone out in the open, minus the skinny palm tree that I eventually got behind. He ran, we all hid behind the bar and everyone was ok. Once the police came and told us it was ok to come out, saw his body laying in the street out front. Crazy night.

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Blue-Jay42 t1_j9xu3uc wrote

Well there was that time I was driving home from a friend's place, and I actually fell asleep while on the highway.

There was also that time when I was young at a hot springs in a national park and fell into a 30 foot deep spot and quickly had to learn how to swim.

There's also that time when I was tearing apart a computer for salvage and cut open the power supply to get at the copper without any idea how much electricity those things have in them.

Then add in all the times that I've just been clumsy around a steep fall, and I think it's safe to say I know the event that has had me closest to dying, I just don't know which one in particular.

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Ninjipples t1_j9xyl5q wrote

I was born dead. Strangled to death by my own umbilical cord. I was resuscitated... so... probably that one.

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TwistedMusically t1_j9yq2m0 wrote

It's a daily thing. It's a miracle that we are alive every day.

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[deleted] t1_j9x0pud wrote

It’s okay, I wanted my inability to sleep to get worse, anyway.

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softiejan013 t1_j9x3ekj wrote

I’d say the closest I’ve been is when I made the decision of trying to swim in a river. (for context, I’m a fairly weak swimmer, only really do it in pools) One moment I was kinda treading water and the next thing I know, a current is pulling me under and I’m swallowing way more river water than I would like to. I would have probably kicked the bucket that day if the group of teenage boys near me and my friend hadn’t noticed me going under.

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Clarkinator69 t1_j9x3r54 wrote

Yep. Back when I was 18, I was riding around late at night with other friends. Guy that was driving nearly hits a guardrail. We loop back around and drive through area again five minutes later. There's a guy on a motorcycle right by said guardrail. Dude had no idea how lucky he was that night.

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AceOfDiamonds676 t1_j9x9bj7 wrote

I didnt come close to dying but I very easily could have died. got into a wreck, completely fucked up my truck and eye. I have permanent eye damage

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Flareonti t1_j9xaeow wrote

Almost being runned over an RAM truck yeah pretty much see my father again

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buggypuller t1_j9xf54u wrote

I came close to drowning once. That’s the closest I’ve came.

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shamblam117 t1_j9xqrci wrote

I had a guy who was clearly high off something holding a knife to my kidneys.

I'd say if it's not that then I don't really want to know.

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skinnyfatguyuk t1_j9xrlph wrote

Mine was my diabetes diagnoses. Turns out I had been DKA for 3 days. Doctors were surprised I walked in instead of being rolled in in a coma

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Professional_Bus3179 t1_j9xzix3 wrote

That’s true. Twice I was on cycle and narrowly escaped from falling under a bus

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Dashie_2010 t1_j9y25uo wrote

I nearly drowned in a pool as a kid, my school would take us for swimming lessons and at the end of term we were allowed a 'fun day' where we could play with these floating mats, water squirters and things. Anyway, i was a bully magnet for a variety of reasons and they decided it'd be fun to float these big mats over top of me after I'd gone under the water, I ended up blacking out, luckily a lifeguard noticed the kids doing whatever they were doing and must have got me out, that wasn't fun.

I once swapped a power socket out after turning the wrong circuit off, turns out it was live the entire time.

Only other one i can think that would qualify was cycling back form town I was going down a hill and my front wheel slid out over a slick manhole cover, I face grated the road becoming a meat crayon. From a neerby factorys cctv it looks like I lay there for a bit before getting up, jumping back on the bike, cycled at least a mile back before a kind stranger took me to hospital when he found me slumped over on the bridalway. If I wasn't wearing a helmet that day i really don't think I'd have moved from outside that factory. I ended up in hospital with a broken jaw, a few large gashes on my chin and shoulders, nerve damage and loss of feeling in my face and a concussion. I was wairing a helmet then but I make extra sure to put it on now and to not go zooming down hills at stupid speed.

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EducationalRiver1 t1_j9ydqt7 wrote

Not me, but my son and his dad. When my son was a baby (maybe a year old?) his dad was pushing him in the pram. They walked past a building site with about 6 floors of scaffolding. A big metal pole fell off the top and landed about a foot behind them. If they'd stopped for any reason for even a second, they'd probably both be dead.

This second story probably isn't the closest I've ever been to death, but it certainly felt like it. My son and I were leaving Catalunya metro station and decided to stop for a doughnut. They were going really slowly and I kept thinking we should skip it, but he wanted a fruit pot and I thought I should wait as he'd chosen fruit over doughnuts. As we were finally about to leave the station, a security guard came screaming down the stairs and forced us all back onto the platform. The van used in the Barcelona terrorist attack had just gone over our heads, killing 16 pedestrians. If we hadn't decided to wait for the doughnut and fruit pot, our planned route would have had us right in its path as it went down La Rambla.

All things considered, my son seems to be some sort of good luck charm.

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big_cock_69420 t1_j9yem3a wrote

I think being milliseconds from being hit by a car makes it a close call

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probablyfoodandbeer t1_j9yix4n wrote

My gallbladder leaking bile all over my insides sure wasn’t the furthest I’ve been from dying

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bipolarcyclops t1_j9z9jye wrote

I was in the ICU after fracturing several vertebrae in my neck when I went into respiratory failure. My wife was with me at the time and alerted the medical staff. They came running and revived me. Don’t remember the incident, though my wife says I was talking to her when it started.

2

LittleJackTheSparrow t1_j9zhibz wrote

I was a kid about a year of 6/7 and i was bullied on a lot. I admit, was kinda an oddball ans such, but still no reason imo. Anyways, was walking home from school when one of the bullies shows up with his friend he was like 12 at the time, larger and bigger than me. Things got physical and his friends threw me on the ground and he climbs on me and starts choking me, like two arounds my neck choke. Nearly passed out. Not like the usual, my vision was red. An adult woman kicked him into his face and scared him away. Lines were in my neck and and my shirt ripped. Went to the police but they just said "boys will be boys"

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RiC_David t1_ja34yqc wrote

And the ones who aren't strangled to death will be men some day.

1

Showerthoughts_Mod t1_j9w54mq wrote

This is a friendly reminder to read our rules.

Remember, /r/Showerthoughts is for showerthoughts, not "thoughts had in the shower!"

(For an explanation of what a "showerthought" is, please read this page.)

Rule-breaking posts may result in bans.

1

vampyrewolf t1_j9wvr8r wrote

I'd say hitting a semi that ran a stop sign at about 50kph comes pretty close.

Hit the front third of the rear hopper on the 2nd trailer... 10' forward and my hood would have gone underneath but would have hit about 6" up my windshield... 10' back and I'd have hit right in front of the rear tires, gone under and possibly run over.

We're talking just over a second either way on my dashcam footage.

Had JUST traded in my Ranger for an Explorer less than 18 months prior, and the Ranger would have gone under the hopper which would have hit 4" up the windshield. The Explorer just stopped on impact, no airbags.

1

crazy_not_but_lazy t1_j9xolp5 wrote

Dunno. Maybe running in the middle of a highway and almost being hit by a truck car as a 4 yo kid doesn't count as close to dying. Because i know it.

1

IvanSaenko1990 t1_j9xuyg7 wrote

Was almost hit by a car several times, got to be careful when crossing the road.

1

rob175arc t1_j9xw5zr wrote

My Dad had so many close call with me that he bet me in sheer frustration as a teen I would not make it to 21. At age 50 I still have shockingly close calls that remind me of my mortality and to be glad to be alive. Three this week! Car failing to give way but I stopped in time, tree branch fell within meters of where I was and an electrical failure would have got me if I had not tested first. I have wondered if I take notice of such things more because of those teen years or if I genuinely have more close calls. Either way I am glad for every day with the family.

1

Rhododendronbuschast t1_j9xyitp wrote

Well I guess I do... Was once in the middle of a cow herd in the mountains when something startled them. Now 100 cows (mostly young bulls 1-2 years old so extra unpredictable) are fleeing down the mountainside in a panic. Kind of a miracle that none of them hit me.

1

FrostWareYT t1_j9y1qst wrote

Oh I do! I’d say It was when I got in a crash in the rain on the West Virginia turnpike, thankfully I didn’t hit anyone else when I hydroplaned, just the barrier wall, but there were cars and semis speeding by around a curve, it’s spooky to think how easily I could have been slammed in the side by one of those trucks.

1

Neither-Return-7821 t1_j9y43k6 wrote

Yeah they do if you’ve literally almost died I’m pretty sure you knew how close it was gonna be

1

Poppekas t1_j9y9arv wrote

When I was young I used to enjoy climbing construction cranes at night with friends. One time, I jumped from the crane arm onto the roof of the crane cabin, which hangs to the side of the crane. But it had recently rained, and there was a puddle on top of the slick, painted metal roof. I could have very easily slipped since it was a kind of sideways jump. That was definitely the closest I have come to death. Yes, I realize how stupid that was.

1

Blackfighty t1_j9ybsyo wrote

I'm sure I know it. Once when I was a kid a bus was so close to me that I felt the wind. It was fast and big and i'm sure I lived that day by like 30 centimeters.

1

Skya_the_weirdo t1_j9yc25g wrote

I read that as “most people don’t know the closet they have been to dying “ and I was soooooo lost 😅

But anyways, I KNOW the closest I’ve been to dying: in a car crash at age 8 sitting behind my mom who was in the driver seat. She didn’t make it but me and my brother in the passenger miraculously did. I’ve heard many times it was a miracle and the odds were against me surviving, let alone unharmed like I was

1

prawduhgee t1_j9yekkm wrote

I was too young to remember but my heart and breathing stopped during my circumcision and I had to be resuscitated. I'm pretty sure that clinical death counts as the closest I've been to dying.

1

Marco45_0 t1_j9yhkhc wrote

I do, and I have more than one! One is when i got so drunk at a birthday party that I wasn't able to walk, talk and understand what people were telling me, that's the closest I've ever got to a coma and since then I kept drinking, but I heavily reduced the amounts of alcohol I consume at parties.

Another one was a bike accident i had. I didn't break any bones but I had some bad cuts and it left me scarred and now I don't ride motorcycles anymore.

1

Pabst_Malone t1_j9yi3p7 wrote

I don’t know, that alligator while I was fishing last weekend seemed to have made a little mile marker for me.

1

tatertot225 t1_j9ymio8 wrote

My first memory was my dad saving me from drowning in a pool. Was outside (alone) , probably 3 years old, was told don't go near the pool (above ground) so obviously I was going to go near the pool since it tool up 3/4 of the yard and kids don't listen. Luckily, my sister was walking by the window and saw me fall in. I remember looking up, seeing the rays from the sun scattering from above, then a big Ole fuckin hand grabbing me by the face. Im now 34 and while I may not have saved the lives of my kids yet, my dad reflexes are elite and have prevented several broken bones and long trips to the ER. Wait, that's not true, I let my friends 6 year old drive my sled (he had experience with 4 wheelers) I was hopping on the back and had 1 foot seated in the tunnel. He pinned it, panicked and had a death grip on the throttle, up on one ski, no helmets, my head was inches from metal fence poles by the time I was able to reach up and grab the powder handle, couldn't get his hand off the throttle, got back to 2 skis, and hit the kill switch about 15 feet from the tree line (old pines) and locked the brakes. Whole ordeal was maybe 6 seconds, but felt like a couple mins. From thoughts on how to react to the situation, to taking control and executing a well thought out plan on how to avoid crushing a child between me and my handlebars and ultimately centering my forhead on a tree at 60mph, dad reflexes did it

1

Expensive_Equal6747 t1_j9zniyg wrote

I do too. I had an open compound fracture of my right leg (bone exits through the skin) and it severed a main artery and vein. I was left bleeding on the ground for 20 mins. Luckily I had jeans on that compressed the wound until EMS arrived

1

mangoman39 t1_j9zreup wrote

16 years old. Driving in the country. Hit a tree at about 50mph. Sharpened tree branch broke through the windshield. Scratched me in the middle of my forehead. Seat belt saved my life if the branch was an inch longer or the bumper gives an extra inch and my brains would've been scrambled

1

momma3critters t1_j9zt8n5 wrote

My closest was th roughing up 3/4 of a gallon of blood and clots from a bleeding ulcer. My BP was what they call 40 over palp. Can’t hear the bottom number only feel it. Got to ride in medical helicopter to a larger hospital over that one.

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Jaomi t1_j9zyj06 wrote

I thought I did know the time I came closest to dying, but after reading the comments and thinking “something like that happened to me too!” just a bunch of times, I’m not sure any more.

Anyway, the story I first thought of was when I was driving along a motorway a few years ago. I was about to overtake a truck carrying a load of trash when I was distracted by something falling off the back of said truck. It was just some printer paper that had blown loose. Good thing it did, because the next thing that fell off was an goddamn office chair, and it would have crashed right through my windscreen if I had started overtaking.

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QuentinSH t1_ja0eeng wrote

In chemistry lab we were learning electrolysis of water, the process turns them into oxygen and hydrogen. We had a beaker of water with anode and electrode in it. There was a function generator of low voltage and we’re supposed to plug the cables into it for current supply. There was also an outlet on the side of the sink table, providing 220V 60Hz AC voltage.

I plugged the two cables into the outlet. (Human safety voltage is 15V AC)

The beaker of water started boiling with gas and sparks coming out, the beaker jumped up a couple inches and spilled a lot, as I quickly pulled the cables out.

I didn’t tell anyone, only my deskmate witnessed this so I continued the lab session like nothing happened but I’m pretty sure it could gone really wrong.

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Soaring_Symphony t1_ja0gre9 wrote

Probably that time I almost drowned in a pool as a kid because I was dumb enough to go down a water slide before I knew how to swim

Or that time I broke my leg in a skiing accident. That could have gone way worse if the angle was a little different

Or that time I was really sick, fainted and fell flat on my back about an inch away from a wooden table. Again, if the angle was just slightly different, that could have been way worse

I've also narrowly avoided countless car accidents

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chizzipsandsizalsa t1_ja0ilve wrote

I had been sober for 5 months and relapsed and shot heroin again, I thought I could handle the same dose that I used to. Fortunately I was in a van with some old friends and I overdosed and they gave me narcan 3 times and I came to in a hospital room. Been sober ever since.

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Youpunyhumans t1_ja0jqmf wrote

One day while driving over the mountains, I was in the right lane on a double lane highway with a big ditch seperating the oncoming traffic.

Was coming up the crest of a hill, and just as I got over the top, some idiot going the wrong way passed by me in the left lane. It happened so quick I didnt really register what happened until they already passed me, had I been in the left lane, I never would have had the time to react and that would have been a head on collision at 120kph. I doubt I would have survived that.

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Dangumit t1_ja0klt1 wrote

I know mine. Almost got in a ~100 mph head on collision in a street race (in "mexico"). Dumbest thing I have ever done. I drive slow, an don't race now.

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furiousfran t1_ja0o1ov wrote

Asswipe nearly sandwiched me at 80 mph because the guy in the passing lane wasn't speeding fast enough for his liking and he just couldn't possibly wait the 3 seconds for me (center) to pass the guy in the right lane and get over. I braked as hard as my car could and remember seeing a car's side door in front of me at one point but I didn't spin out or hit anything at least.

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Morgell t1_ja0p7lb wrote

Oh I know exactly when I was closest: my appendix burst at 14 and pus was leaking when they opened me up. They had no clue it had burst because it was reversed and the pus had mostly been contained by its positioning. If they'd waited much longer I might have died.

I have really good pain tolerance too so I wasn't in much pain nor puking or whatnot for the half day they kept me in the ER running tests and all. It literally just felt like mild period cramps or being unable to pass gas... after I'd just finished having my period a few days before.

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Flying_Cooki t1_ja2vm9n wrote

Well, I got whopping cough when I was only 3 months old. My mum demanded to stay at the hospital even if they didn't believe her, since I wasn't coughing at the time. Good thing she did.

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RiC_David t1_ja34n23 wrote

As interesting as people's stories are to read, they're all missing the point that they still don't know if that's the closest they've come or not.

You could have been moments away from all manner of freak accidents or murderous acts. You wouldn't know, and so you'd assume the closest you came was the time you're telling us about.

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Classic-Many-5664 t1_j9wmde4 wrote

I do! Was inches away from being murdered by a tree a few months ago

Ironically I'd be dead af if I was wearing my seat belt

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axebodyspraytester t1_j9xr3hd wrote

I've lead a very interesting life and I've come super close to death several times. I've been shot at several times, stabbed on 3 occasions, almost drowned water skiing, I've been hit by cars, skiing accidents one where I hit a tree and got stabbed in the groin another where I broke a leg. And fell off a cliff and had to be rescued by a team of firefighters. Good times.

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Forsaken-Cow- t1_j9zfi7r wrote

I do! When I was 4 I both almost died from kidney failure from dehydration and drown (but obviously lived). And when I was like 8 maybe? I ran in front of a car in a parking lot and it didn’t even attempt to stop at all, don’t know how I didn’t get hit

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