Near death experiences . . .

[Kali27]

When I was growing up we use to go on these camping trips to the Kern river every summer with all the neighbors and friends we grew up with...

The adults always went down on intertubes and we as kids were not allowed... there was a smaller rapid that ended right by our campsite. Well, when I was about 12, one morning the adults all left to go up the river and I snuck away from the couple adults that didn't go with an intertube that had a bottom, determined to go down at least that last little set of rapids... well, after hiking up the river a lil, I got in where it seemed calm... (that year just happened to be a record rainfall year so the rapids were way stronger than at first glance)... I was having fun and doing good until I went over a large rock, flipped, and got pulled into the current underneath. The intertube had flipped and since it had a bottom it was suctioned down with me trapped underneath, totally unable to swim or even move against that current... So after what feels like minutes and water totally going into my lungs, someone's older cousin jumped in to get the intertube and find me... once the tube was moved I popped up and he managed to help me get through the rest of the rapids... I stayed out of scary water for a long time...

[Memorial_07]

doing a front flip and landing on my neck and hitting my spine (like i was folded up) and i couldn't breathe for 5 minutes.
Shit hurt.


Coming back from a show at the Showcase theatre in Corona in March, my brother, me and two other people were in the car.
I was asleep and in the right side backseat and it is 1:00 a.m.
when i woke up my brother told me that a car going 120 behind us in the same lane came up on us and my brother swerved all the way to the far left lane on the freeway as the car going 120 kept going in the same lane. No lights on.
If the car had hit us, I would've been the first to die.

[rage patton]

When I was 10, I think, my family decided to do a roadtrip to Winnipeg, to see some of our friends. While in Saskatchewan, we were kind of in the middle of nowhere and we were tired, so we parked in a parking lot to sleep. We cracked open the windows a bit, to let some airflow in. At like, 3 or 4 in the morning a god forsakenly loud train came roaring by, wakings us all up. I looked over, and noticed my little sister, who was 2, had blood all over her and blood was running out of her nose at an alrming rate. I dont remember the details after this exactly, but we got her cleaned up and went to a doctors. When we were talking to the doctor and told him about the train, he looked at us very puzzled and aksed us again, EXACTLY, where we were. We told him and he said to us " That train track hasn't been used in over 20 years." However, if we hadn't have been woken up by the train, my little sister could have bled to death in her sleep.

Not my life, but a very cool story none the less. I still wonder what it is that woke us up. Because I swear I heard and saw a train...

[Memorial_07]

When I was 10, I think, my family decided to do a roadtrip to Winnipeg, to see some of our friends. While in Saskatchewan, we were kind of in the middle of nowhere and we were tired, so we parked in a parking lot to sleep. We cracked open the windows a bit, to let some airflow in. At like, 3 or 4 in the morning a god forsakenly loud train came roaring by, wakings us all up. I looked over, and noticed my little sister, who was 2, had blood all over her and blood was running out of her nose at an alrming rate. I dont remember the details after this exactly, but we got her cleaned up and went to a doctors. When we were talking to the doctor and told him about the train, he looked at us very puzzled and aksed us again, EXACTLY, where we were. We told him and he said to us " That train track hasn't been used in over 20 years." However, if we hadn't have been woken up by the train, my little sister could have bled to death in her sleep.

Not my life, but a very cool story none the less. I still wonder what it is that woke us up. Because I swear I heard and saw a train...

that's a pretty scary story.

[betao]

I guess this is the closest I have to share for.

when I was around 8 or 9 years old, I was living with my mother after my parents separated. We were staying in a small apartment for a few months, and it was right next to a Friendlies restaurant. So one night, we went there for dinner, it wasn't very crowded, and our server was a cool guy.

The next morning, we turned on the news to find out that about an hour after we had left, the restaurant was robbed and our server had been shot and killed.

Scary to think it could have been us as well.

[Somewhat Damaged]

Nothing's happened to me directly, but my dad died when he was 2 years old. Drowned in a community swimming pool. An uncle dove in and resuscitated him. Had he not, I wouldn't be here.

Then there were all the suicide attempts, but it's not like I wasn't asking for it.

[algunz]

When I was 10, I think, my family decided to do a roadtrip to Winnipeg, to see some of our friends. While in Saskatchewan, we were kind of in the middle of nowhere and we were tired, so we parked in a parking lot to sleep. We cracked open the windows a bit, to let some airflow in. At like, 3 or 4 in the morning a god forsakenly loud train came roaring by, wakings us all up. I looked over, and noticed my little sister, who was 2, had blood all over her and blood was running out of her nose at an alrming rate. I dont remember the details after this exactly, but we got her cleaned up and went to a doctors. When we were talking to the doctor and told him about the train, he looked at us very puzzled and aksed us again, EXACTLY, where we were. We told him and he said to us " That train track hasn't been used in over 20 years." However, if we hadn't have been woken up by the train, my little sister could have bled to death in her sleep.

Not my life, but a very cool story none the less. I still wonder what it is that woke us up. Because I swear I heard and saw a train...

Why was your sister bleeding like that? What was wrong? That's some creepy shit.

[algunz]

Then there were all the suicide attempts, but it's not like I wasn't asking for it.

Ok my inquiry may seem morbid and you need not go any further, but my fascination with these things runs deep. How many attempts and what do you mean by asking for it?

[rage patton]

Why was your sister bleeding like that? What was wrong? That's some creepy shit.

I was like 10 or something when this happend, so how it got stoped and cleaned up is fuzzy to me. The doctor said it was something like lack of oxygen in the car... but we did have the windows cracked open. It is a creepy story indeed, but a surreal one as well I think.

[algunz]

How interesting. Why would lack of oxygen cause bleeding like that?



No worries rage, it's rhetorical. Unless someone out there has an answer.

[rage patton]

Im not a doctor... but I think its that mixed with genetics. I get nose bleeds VERY easily. If get hit with a small amount of force on the nose, I bleed instantly. Also, when my body temperature changes really fast, my nose starts to bleed as well. But my nose has never bled like hers did.
But yes, actually, if someone can tell my when a lack of oxygen could cause a nose to bled, I would apreciate it.

[frozen pilgrim]

lack of oxygen-surface cells in airways start to die.
hey yeah, didn't you get a nosebleed in the campground or something? or am I imagining that? I remember you mentioning it in some context, anyways

[sikiboy]

Week Before Coachella...

[chairmenmeow47]

Nothing's happened to me directly, but my dad died when he was 2 years old. Drowned in a community swimming pool. An uncle dove in and resuscitated him. Had he not, I wouldn't be here.

my grandfather was in the navy and was supposed to ship out to pearl harbour, but got appendicitis in guam like the day or two before and never went. things like that make you realize how lucky we are to be here. it just takes one moment...

[Hopeless Semantic]

The only time I ever had one iota of a dying thought was when I was sitting in my car with a girl I had just taken out on a date. We were just wrapping up the night by conversing about things and whatnot when a pair of eses pulled up to my side of the car. Now, I initially didn't see them as I was turned towards my date. However, I did feel the coldness of the gun's barrel right to the back of my head. In the middle of this, I heard the other guy ask me the three words that you really never want to hear--"Where you from?" Followed by the 2nd guy's cocking of his gun, I said, "Nowhere. I don't bang." After that, I closed my eyes expecting the worst, but feeling the pressure of the gun barrel pulling away from me. Then the 1st guy uttered something about his gang and they both walked away.

I swore I heard nothing but my heartbeat and I watched as the panic and fear covered my date's face. It was as surreal as anything I have ever experienced and afterwards, it took me nearly the remainder of the night to leave the date's house and trek back home.

I look back at the incident with tempered relief. Because I hear about how similar events happen and the victims' fate isn't as lucky as mine was. It was so close to being over for me that night. I have never been as scared as I was that night.

I don't know how near death I was, but it was pretty damn scary...

[MissingPerson]

When I was in the Army Reserve one of the others fired his rifle when he wasn't supposed to. I was standing up in front of one of the (people shaped) targets. If he'd been a better shot, he would have shot me right in the head. His aim was off, so his rounds missed me by a couple inches.

One thing I'll always remember, the sound of the shot travels slower than the bullets themselves - so you hear the round hit the paper target before you hear it leave the gun.

[chairmenmeow47]

One thing I'll always remember, the sound of the shot travels slower than the bullets themselves - so you hear the round hit the paper target before you hear it leave the gun.

whoa, that's freaky.

and hopless, that's so scary!!! i had some kids in my complex pull a fake gun on me once. it was late and i couldn't see that it was fake till he got to my window with it. it was pointed at my face the entire time though. i should have called the cops, but instead i just crawled in bed and cried. thankfully i don't seem them around anymore; i think they got evicted.

[Heresy]

When I was 6 months old, I had pneumonia and had to get my lungs pumped several times. The doctors had to strap me down in a restraint jacket and shove these tubes into my lungs and pump out all the fluid. Of course I don't have any memory of it I was too young, but my mom told me the story. She thought I wasn't going to make it since there was so much fluid.

Several brushes with death on the freeway. My friend and I were in her car and we were merging onto the freeway. We were going about 45-50 since traffic was kinda slow and some asshole is coming right at us from behind. He must've been going about 80 so he starts riding our ass and starts high beaming us. My friend just stood at a constant speed and finally he moves over. My friend at the time had really bad road rage so she caught up to him, tailed his ass and started highbeaming him (Stupid I know) so he slammed on his brakes and she had to swirve out into the next lane and the car kinda fish tailed. We drove by him flipping him off. We didn't talk for about 20 minutes and as soon as we got off the freeway she starts talking like she found god or something. And because of that incident, she no longer lets her road rage get the best of her.


Another time I was about 4 years old and I was outside of my house when I heard popping noises. Apparently they were gunshots but I was so young, I didn't know what the hell was going on. When I walked up the porch I saw everyone in my living room diving to the floor. And then before I knew it, someone had scooped me up and we dove to the floor.

[BROKENDOLL]

Okay. when I was younger, (Be nice!) my family had a weekend place down in Mexico near San Felipe. It was on the river so we could waterski and with all the open desert around we did alot of motorcycle riding. On the weekend that the Baja 500 was running, all the men in the campsite decided to take the bikes and head across the desert, hoping to see parts of the race. I bugged the shit out of my dad to be able to go with them until he finally said yes. The only problem was he let one guy use my bike which left me with having to ride someone elses that I wasn't really familiar with. We went for about a 50 mile ride acrossed the open desert and it was rough, but I wasn't about to complain because afterall, I was the one who wanted to go no matter what. It wasn't easy keeping up with them, so I brought up the rear you could say. On the way back to the camp they chose to go a route that would have us on the opposite side of the river from camp. Pretty much untouched land with alot of cactus and no trail. The piece of shit bike I got stuck with started acting weird with the throttle feeling like it was getting stuck or something. but I couldn't get their attention at that point. They got far enough ahead and almost to the point of being straight acrossed from our camp when finally they stopped and waved me to hurry up. All I know is when I gave this stupid bike alittle more gas, that fucking throttle took it all the way and stuck there! Up ahead, their eyes were wide open in panic because obviously there was a problem. The riverbank was about 5 feet to my left and the bike had a mind of it's own then as I went through cactus patches, over rocks, and kept hanging on. I don't know if I was more afraid of getting hurt or getting in trouble for doing something wrong, but as I got closer to the guys I heard, "let it go!" So, I did. I let go of the handlebars, opened my legs to jump, and as I ended up doing a nosedive into a cactus, the bike headed over the riverbank and down into the Rio Harde River, literally! I didn't know if I was gonna die or if the guy who owned that piece of shit was gonna kill me, but later on back at camp around the firepit when everybody was taking turns pulling catus needles out of my ass, he mentioned something about knowing that throttle needed some repairing. Asshole!

[algunz]

Ugh, I hate cactus.

[Somewhat Damaged]

Ok my inquiry may seem morbid and you need not go any further, but my fascination with these things runs deep. How many attempts and what do you mean by asking for it?

I remember your fascination with suicide due to that friend of yours committing it when you were younger, so no biggie. And it's not like I didn't introduce the subject myself. I don't recall how many attempts exactly but there were a few (half dozen or so, maybe), and "asking for it" as in asking for the near death experience.

I spent the day driving to a couple of my company's sites in southern Arizona with my new boss. He told me about a major motorcycle accident he was in last March. He'd had a couple beers but was pretty much sober. As he came around a bend on an isolated road, he ran into some gravel and lost control of his bike. He wound up crashing into a mesquite tree and flew 20 feet. He wound up getting impaled on a branch, which collapsed the lung on his right side. Fortunately for him, a nurse just happened to be on that road at the same time and saw his accident. She called 911 and tended to him till an ambulance got there. Had she not, he had flown so far off the road that he wouldn't have been discovered for at least a day, and they told him that with his injuries, he would've bled out after an hour. He wound up breaking his neck, back, arm, 13 ribs (including all 10 on his right side), and had a gash requiring 52 stitches in his head. He was in a coma for 8 days and was in a body cast for several months. It's pretty remarkable how he looks now, just a year later, not just due to the extent of the injuries but also his age. (He's 53, so not exactly a spring chicken.)

EDIT: Oh yeah, mentioned that he'd had a couple beers. Due to that, his insurance company didn't pay ANY of his medical bills. His hospital stay was pretty exorbitant, almost $500k, and while he made pretty good money with the company that he owned at the time, he didn't have that kind of cash to pay it. So he wound up having to sell his company and file personal bankruptcy. Amazingly enough, he still opposes socialized medicine.

[algunz]

The "riding off a side of a road and not being found for days" thing has always been a fear of mine. Every time we cross the mountains on the 60 on our way to the desert I think about that mother and child who drove off the embankment and weren't found for days. The mother passed away, but the child managed to survive. My heart just aches thinking about what that must have been like for him.

[TomAz]

this one time a long time ago I drank a lot and then took some drugs and I vomited and then passed out and my friends said I stopped breathing ans so they called a bambulance and slapped me around and I started breathing again so they told the bambulance to go away and it did and fuck those fuckers they managed to overreact and underreact at the same fucking time so I don't know what to believe EXcEPT i can tell you I woke up the next day sick as all hell and had to cancel out of this obligation I really shouldn't have cancelled out from -- it involved picking up trash at 7 am on a Saturda -- and who the fuck knows what the truth was but you know when you grab life by the balls some days it's gonna get pissed at you. Ha ha.

[thelastmejia]

almost died twice in my life. Once when I was about 3 or 4 I broke the child proof seal on a bottle of my grandmother's medication. I was rushed to the hospital and had to swallow charcoal and had my stomached pumped. They made me throw up all nite to prevent me from blacking out.

2nd time was about 3 years ago. I was driving home from my job on a sunday nite at 9:30pm and as I was heading home driving slowly through a residential area when a guy driving drunk slammed into my car head first while he was driving about 50-60 mph. My I had to crawl out of my car and I collapsed on street after trying to walk. I didn't notice so I tried to walk, but knee was broken my ribs where broken and my car was crumbled up in a ball and so I collapsed and cracked up my head open. The thing that saved my life was the seat belt cause the other guy was in a mustang convertable without his seat belt. He ened up flying through the window, breaking every bone in his face, his eyeball ened up coming out his socked and the other eye got infected and he was in the ICU for a few weeks.

[chairmenmeow47]

this one time a long time ago I drank a lot and then took some drugs and I vomited and then passed out and my friends said I stopped breathing ans so they called a bambulance and slapped me around and I started breathing again so they told the bambulance to go away and it did and fuck those fuckers they managed to overreact and underreact at the same fucking time so I don't know what to believe EXcEPT i can tell you I woke up the next day sick as all hell and had to cancel out of this obligation I really shouldn't have cancelled out from -- it involved picking up trash at 7 am on a Saturda -- and who the fuck knows what the truth was but you know when you grab life by the balls some days it's gonna get pissed at you. Ha ha.

whoa, i want more stories from partying tom

[BROKENDOLL]

this one time a long time ago I drank a lot and then took some drugs and I vomited and then passed out and my friends said I stopped breathing ans so they called a bambulance and slapped me around and I started breathing again so they told the bambulance to go away and it did and fuck those fuckers they managed to overreact and underreact at the same fucking time so I don't know what to believe EXcEPT i can tell you I woke up the next day sick as all hell and had to cancel out of this obligation I really shouldn't have cancelled out from -- it involved picking up trash at 7 am on a Saturda -- and who the fuck knows what the truth was but you know when you grab life by the balls some days it's gonna get pissed at you. Ha ha.

I almost died laughing at this last night.

whoa, i want more stories from partying tom

From his partying past or last night's shindig?

[algunz]

Driving to San Diego today the car in front of us had a blow out and lost control. My husband with his quick reflexes somehow managed to avoid him. We had to pull over and get out of the car and just breath.

I hate cars.