People cheat death 5 times in a lifetime.

Very interesting.

Off the top of my head I nearly died at birth. I was born not breathing and they had to bag me for 8 minutes.

When I was 4 I had a major Asthma attack and nearly died on the way to the hospital.

At age 11 I fell about 25 ft out of a tree that I was climbing. I hit the ground hard. So hard that it knocked the wind out of me to the point that I was unable to breathe for 2-3 minutes. I passed out but eventually my lungs started re-inflating and I recovered pretty quickly. The doctor said I was lucky both my lungs were not punctured.

At 16 I was taking a medicine that was prescribed to me by a doctor. Some how my body was not processing it right and it just built up. So I essentially over dosed, unintentionally. I woke up at the hospital but after a few minutes just suddenly, my vitals rapidly dropped. I passed out for a few moments and then my body started self correcting and I ended up being fine...Sure gave the nurses a hell of a scare for a second though. Half the unit came running into the room apparently.

At 19 I was at a party and some idiot brought a gun to the party. Loaded and everything. They accidentally fired it off. The bullet hit the wall just a few inches from where I was standing.

So here I am. 24 years old.I have cheated death 5 times. Should I go hide in the bathroom now?

No,of course I wont do that. I will live my life and have fun

Still, very interesting.

Oh lord here's a list!

Born at 7 months and under weight. Dr. wasn't sure if I'd survive.

Age 3 Developed severe Hypoglycemia. Blood Sugar would drop to unreadable levels and heart would stop. This happened multiple times in hospital in a single day. Would probably estimate at least 20 such episodes.

Age 4 Jumped into a lake. Yelled "Look I'm a Fish!" when father pulled me out of the water.

Age 7 Hit by car while walking on sidewalk. Walked away with just bruises.

Age 8 Blood Sugar still messing up so bad that a Dr. told me I wouldn't live to be 12. My response was "Hide and watch me MotherF*&@# !" Mother about crawled under examination table. I'm now 40 so I win!

Age 10 Fell off Garage breaking both hands

Age 11 Nearly choked to death on a piece of under cooked bacon at a truck stop. Truck Driver saw me turn blue and did the Heimlich. Still refuse to eat floppy bacon to this day.

Age 12 Caught Pneumonia and Dr. prescribed Codeine. Was highly allergic to it and was in hospital for 3 weeks due to reaction.

Age 15 Car Wreck no injury

Age 17 Stabbed by a stranger wanting money. Didn't have any money to give him.

Age 18 Grazed by bullet while taking a walk, never saw who fired it. Police never found out who did it either.

Age 22 Head on collision on major interstate highway. Friend died in the crash. We were struck by a drunk driver driving the wrong way.

Age 30 Fell 50 feet off cliff while rock climbing. Lost my left leg below the knee due to injuries. Also have head trauma causing seizures and memory loss.

Age 35 Missed a Tornado in Arkansas by moments on a pitch black night. If we'd been ahead just 5 minutes we would have met a F4 Tornado on the road.

That's all I can remember at this time. Probably more in there I can't remember LOL

Three car crashes, 4 motorbike crashes, electrocuted twice, fallen down numerous stairs and generally run into accidents many many times. Oh, and almost hit by lightning once. Reckon it's borrowed time for me...

I, like other ATS posters above have cheated death so many times that it's impossible to count anymore. I used to talk about having surpassed my alloted 9 lives; but then, I continued on having more extra chances. I've certainly lived through many times the alloted five. I guess some of us makeup for those newborns and children who die without ever having received a second chance. Kind of makes you feel guilty eh?

Fascinating reading all of the stories.
It's mind boggling how any of us are here to tell about it !

I have a few of my own:

Birth - Almost died soon after, something was wrong with my heart and my body weight withered down to a mere couple of pounds within days. Mother's instinct saved me from the stupidity of doctors by deciding to take me home and force feed me every hour on the hour for 3 months straight until I was a fat, plump healthy baby. Doctors never did figure out what was wrong.

Age 10 - Nearly drowned in a freezing river after the canoe I was paddling in tipped over. My lifejacket was a crappy old thing and instead of holding me up, it sucked in the water and pulled me down under the current. I remember looking up watching the sunlight go darker and darker as I was going deeper and deeper. A feeling of calm came over me, I knew I was dying but I didn't panic at all and just felt this weird happy sensation come over me without the need to breath. My stepfather was diving down repeatedly trying to find me, but the water was dark and murky. Apparently it was a good 5 minutes or so before he felt something brush his hand, it was the ends of my long hair floating upward. He grabbed and pulled me back up to the surface, pumped the water out of my chest, and I took a deep breath of wonderful oxygen.

Age 14 - Walking to school one day not looking at where I was going, just about to step off the curb to cross the street when a loud voice screamed in my ear "Stop!!". I froze on the spot and stepped back from the curb. Right at that very second a transit bus whizzed past me at top speed and so close to the curb that I could feel the sideview mirror brush the hair on the top of my head. I looked around but there was no one in sight.

Age 16 - Teenage stupidity, went on a weekend drinking bender with my friends. Somehow managed to get myself home after 2 days of straight drinking (Sunday), and passed out in my bed. I woke up 3 days later on Wednesday evening... I had literally slept(?) without waking up or moving for 3 days straight, wearing the same clothes and shoes, in the exact same sideways position on the bed. Parents weren't home, they were gone on a 5-day trip to visit family. Needless to say, the first thing I did was hit the bathroom and pee'd like Austin Powers. Alcohol poisoning ? Alcohol induced coma ? To this day, I still can't figure it out.

Age 18 - Passenger in a head on collision car accident doing about 60km per hour, no seatbelt on, my face went through the windshield and I ended up halfway out on top of the hood of the car. I walked away from it with just a little goose egg on my forehead and a mild concussion.

Age 19 - Working as a house painter, fell from a 30+ ft ladder painting the eavestrough on a 3-story house. Landed like a starfish onto a patch of thick, unmowed lawn. Knocked the wind out of me and couldn't breath for at least 2 minutes, and couldn't move any part of my body. Scariest feeling I ever had in my life was the inability to take a desperate need for a breath. Lungs eventually kicked back in and was able to slowly move my body again. I think landing like a starfish flat on my back probably saved my body from being permanently broken into a hundred pieces.

Age 25 - Complications giving birth to my daughter, lost 3 pints of blood within seconds (placenta did not completely separate properly) and then instantly passed out from mass blood loss. I remember hearing the doctors and nurses yelling and running around, feeling myself fade away, and then I went blank. My baby girl was worth every second of it.

Age 40 - Cruising on my motorcycle down the freeway doing about 80 km/hr when some idiot in a van decided to change lanes without looking in his mirrors. I wasn't paying attention to this dummy next to me, but for some reason I felt the urge to hit my brakes and by doing so realized my butt was saved by a mere couple of inches of my front tire as he cut me off. Lost control of the back end of my bike from the sudden breaking on damp cement, started to slide sideways, started to kiss my butt goodbye with the words "Oh sh##" coming out of my mouth, when the bike hit a small patch of dry cement, throwing it back into an upright position enabling me to correct the front end getting the bike turned back around going in the right direction. I cursed like a sailor at the dummy in the van as I shook off the adrenaline vibrations pumping through my body. All of this took place over a matter of seconds. Wow.



Dang, I've used up all of my lives + 3... maybe I'm a cat and have one more left ?

I haven't thought about all of those "close calls" in years.

reply to post by nixie_nox


I was born not breathing. A blue baby. I had to be ventilated and resuscitated.

My mother took me to the doctor when I was only a few years old because I "seemed lethargic". Turned out I had serious pneumonia.

I got an abdominal hernia when I was ten, and had to go in for surgery. Two days before surgery I had a soccer ball kicked into my groin. I also woke up on the table.

One time, biking down the biggest hill near my house, I suddenly decided to close my eyes and take my hands off the handlebars. My bike hit a bump, my eyes snapped open, and I flew off the bike - somehow landed on my feet, on the sidewalk, running, and ran all the way home. The bike hit a parked car. I wasn't wearing a helmet.

One time I was on my bike ripping down the sidewalk, and a truck pulled out of an alley in front of me, just as a big semi came down the road. The truck pulled in front of me a millisecond before I hit the alley, and I hit the side of the truck, flew off the bike, and landed on the hood. If I'd gotten there a split second earlier, the truck would have struck me and thrown me into the path of the semi. The driver of the truck got out, threw his coffee at me, and berated me.

I once contracted viral meningitis (I think I was 14) and lived. I have virtually no memory of the time that I was sick.

On two occasions (that I can remember) I have had people yank me by the collar/coat and prevent me being hit by a vehicle. Interestingly, both incidents involved casual acquaintances.

I almost fell off a cliff my first time snowboarding. By the skin of my teeth...

I was struck by a ricochet at the range, when I was in the army. It left a big welt. Hit my upper chest.

I've narrowly avoided fatal car accidents on two occasions (always as a passenger.)


All of this happened before I was 18. I'm 26 now, and I don't really engage in risky behavior any more. I scared myself straight.

reply to post by nixie_nox

So are you aware of any situations that you may have "cheated" death?

painfully aware - i still have the scars of several of them , an as for numbers - if i was a cat i would have died in the mid 80s

I got buried alive sand tunnel collapse. (My brother digged my out, he was responsible for the collapse)

I got surrounded in fire and my pants got fire. I was burning papers in the woods at an sewer pipe( nothing happened)

I fell from top to bottom from a high tree, while attempting to jump from tree to tree.

I stole my father bike for a joyride in the rain without a helmet, and touched the curve while being scared of making the corner in the wet. 15years on a 900cc. crazy. 110 km/h

I fell in a hole at a construction place, when being caught by an metal pin. Just my clothes where torn

I fell thrum an roof, just between metal pipes all around me. yet again nothing happened.

Ohw and when I was young I had a dirt-bike cycle. I approached an crossroad and thought this time I just keep riding without looking. Bam a passing car hit me and I was catapulted in to thorn bushes. again nothing happened

Once I was driving on my scooter home from work, while taking some great corner. My back wheel spun out. I fell and the first thing a saw was the bumper of an truck.

jeez you made me think about myself. haha there's more but its enough


Just popped up.

When sleeping in an camper, there was a large metal kind of lamp next to my head. Apparently the electricity was short circuiting. My head touched the lamp and I was being shocked like hell. Was seeing flashes and all. Luckily I fell back.

Ive got an accident on my job to.

Once my head got caught in a machine the polishes granite. They had to lift the machine of the ground to free my head. The pressure was so immense that the buttons of the control panel that on one side caught my head where pressed down to the skull. I never knew the skin was that thick until you reach the skull.


(its not the same machine)

reply to post by CranialSponge


. Well its safe to say you can trust your guardian angel, if there are any.

reply to post by RedBird


I should take the advice that i should use that scare to set myself straight.

Wow, what an interesting thread..good job OP??. I would have to say, for me, the most serious was when I had my 4th(last) child...I was scheduled for a c-section. Well unbeknown to the surgeons, my boy decided he didnt want to wait & was already halfway down the birth canal...long story short, they pumped me like an accordian, and after 20 minutes, lots of lost blood, they pulled him out of the incision, butt up...My blood dropped to point 5.. it was an odd feeling. Like i was light as a feather and everyone was talking through a tunnel..I was fully conscious for the three days after. They insisted on a blood transfusion, which I refused. Then i had to sign paperwork before my release, basically saying the hospital was not responsible if I died..Thanks to the hubs & my mother feeding me spinach and kale(yuck), I finally recovered after a few months..The weakness did last a very long time. But I would say, thats the closest brush with death I have had

koool thread


I fell through a hole in a two story house playing hide-and-go-seek when i was 8, did a backflip on the way down, cracked my spine on the edge of the kitchen counter which in turn made me do another backflip causing me to land on my feet in a squatting position

fell of wall while framing a house (someone framed with 8ʻs and not 16ʻs on that side of the house) and landed on my butt on a CMU retaining wall with 6ʻ re-bar sticking up on both sides of me (no wiggle room in between)

For some strange reason I was overwhelmed to say some prayers for safety that morning while driving to work which I did

After cheating death twice within an hour, I pretty much concluded I was immortal or at least have killed a few guardian angels.


Walked out of a building 5 minutes before it erupted into a fireball and shortly there after took a back road (to avoid all the firetrucks at the other place) and made a double 90 degree turn under a railroad trestle and over an old ironworks bridge with such speed that I jumped half the bridge, bounced up when I landed and then landed on the other side of the bridge. This was in a Cutlass Supreme, terrible car at cornering. I tried to take it as fast as I dared a few times. Never went above 30 mph and never had enough speed after the second turn to jump any distance on the bridge.

Been on the wrong side of a 38 Special in a part of town that I was told that I was "the wrong color for this part of town"

Caught a fireball from a propane tank square in the chest. Never singed me or my shirt, but left a sooty outline of my body on the wall behind me.

Been severely dehydrated (three days without water) due to a bad reaction to meds after a surgery. Passed out and had an interesting hallucination including speaking with an entity that gave me the option to die or walk back to this world...it was bizarre to say the least but I remember it all vividly.

As a child, I had just cleared the railroad track when a train came whizzing by. The one time I did not look because the railroad workers that grandpa was talking with had said it would be a few minutes before it got there. Scared grandpa and the workers to death because they were sure I was dead since they could not see me nor hear me over the train.

Dated one girl that it was a miracle that she didn't kill me. Being wiser, I made sure it was her decision to break up and not mine.

Smoke inhalation almost got me while trying to exit a plastic wrapped scaffolding after putting out a propane fire. I more or less fell through the opening in the plastic as I was about to blackout from lack of oxygen with my knife in hand but couldn't focus enough to hit the plastic with the tip or edge while trying to cut my way out.

I was carried by a riptide about 2 miles up the beach, saved by the fact I was body surfing on a boogie board. I was pretty much done with the ocean after that experience. Being beached, I was held under and the board snapped in half under me while my face was pushed into the sand. It was a long stinging 2 mile walk back to the car.

And while it was not my own death, a woman brought into the hospital that was dying sat bolt upright in the ER bed and mistook me for Jesus by calling out to me saying "I see there you waiting to take me home, Jesus." When she passed I went to speak with one of the attending nurses and she said the woman was mumbling and yelling incoherently the entire time. As for me, I shaved off my beard that night. No sense tempting fate nor divine jealousy.

reply to post by nixie_nox


hrm... fell down a mountain once, bout 30 feet. Me and 3 buddies and none of us were injured. Also I once climbed a lightpole then fell, breaking my wrist.

Miseed a passing lorry by a split second
Was swept out to sea as a teen and had to be rescued.
Appendix burst
Bitten by a rabid dog in Uganda but injected in time.

Works out at one a decade

Happy to hear through the struggle of almost not making it, many have!
I've seen a few shows on survival stories such as in the wilderness, they are always touching too, makes you wonder..."If I were them could I have made it...". Takes great willpower.

Seems like a more than a few times I've nearly met my demise, am very fortunate to be here.

Had a medical condition that Drs. misdiagnosed as a child could have not made it if not getting yet another opinion.
Am a survivor of violent crime...shooting, family member did not make it.
Attacked at knife point, have scars to show how I defended myself
Car accidents...car almost rolled due to faulty breaks-vehicle attached rolled and was deemed fatality was certain,
car wheel axle broke loose projecting the wheel, luckily slowed down in time saving others and family and self...others
Hurricanes
Homelessness, sometimes not sure how I made it...
ETC.

Though, in ways I may be weaker now I am also stronger in other ways... more attuned to my gut feelings, proficient in self defense, have put myself in survival situations-wilderness survival, etc. What always hurts though, the "what ifs"...If I knew then what I knew now would I have prevented the situations. Probably! But it's part of the journey of life, since we can't go back and change these things.

Reply to post by nixie_nox

Car crashes (2), allergic reactions to antibiotics, major tooth infection.

Life can be pretty hairy at times.


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