Anyone had a narrow escape ??

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IanMcL
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by IanMcL » Sun May 20, 2018 9:12 pm

Just remembered another...
Was out in a real gale force wind, riding my Honda 50. Young lad. Suddenly wind from front stops and bike lurches forward. Before I could do anything a very strong gust from the side just flattened me. Fortunately, I ended up off the road and not in the middle

Worst of all....
Late one night, on way back from new girlfriend's, car decides to overtake another, coning towards me. I end up through the windscreen with bike splattered. Woke up in hospital remembering only that I was going home at the time. Compound fracture of leg, arm not working and cut in forehead. 11 months off work. Still alive, mostly intact apart from scars and bikers limp.

Rileybobs
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Rileybobs » Sun May 20, 2018 10:09 pm

IanMcL wrote:Just remembered another...
Was out in a real gale force wind, riding my Honda 50. Young lad. Suddenly wind from front stops and bike lurches forward. Before I could do anything a very strong gust from the side just flattened me. Fortunately, I ended up off the road and not in the middle

Worst of all....
Late one night, on way back from new girlfriend's, car decides to overtake another, coning towards me. I end up through the windscreen with bike splattered. Woke up in hospital remembering only that I was going home at the time. Compound fracture of leg, arm not working and cut in forehead. 11 months off work. Still alive, mostly intact apart from scars and bikers limp.
You’ve just remembered those?

IanMcL
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by IanMcL » Sun May 20, 2018 11:02 pm

Perhaps a misleading phrase. The two that are at the forefront of memory in a really u comfortable way, I posted earlier. Of the latest two, the blowing off the motorbike by the wind was the right way. I have to contemplate what may have happened, had the gust come the other way, so not at the forefront.

The accident which could have killed me....no memory, so again, although it dramatically changed my life, I try not to think about it, so not at the forefront.

Hope that clarifies.

deanothedino
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by deanothedino » Mon May 21, 2018 6:39 am

Wile E Coyote wrote:that could have used up one life , I grabbed an old tape recorder once and touched the live connector, agonising pain from electrocution.
If it was electrocution, congratulations on posting as a dead person.

Walton
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Walton » Mon May 21, 2018 9:41 am

I ended up in hospital a few years ago, and spent a few weeks completely immobilised on a bed.

I was eventually due for release and had a gingerly walk with the physio the day before discharge date, as he wanted to see I could handle stairs etc. It felt like I had cramp in my calf, so I spent a while trying to push it out.

Went to bed that night looking forward to getting back out, but as I was drifting off I had a crippling pain, the absolute worst, and couldn't breathe. I couldn't reach the buzzer, and thought this was it. I was in a private room at the end of the ward. Had to bash something, can't remember what, to alert a nurse, and eventually one turned up. She saw I was completely f*cked, sheer terror in my eyes, and I ended up with an entire team surrounding me to sort me out. Couple of emergency injections, oxygen mask, and whatever else they did, but it worked.

The calf cramp had been caused by a couple of blood clots, which travelled to my lung. Multiple pulmonary embolisms (or embolii as the doctor wrote on my sick note for work).

I seriously thought I was a goner. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Spent the next 3 months off work, watching Netflix and having a very successful Football Manager save. Every cloud...

houseboy
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by houseboy » Mon May 21, 2018 10:31 am

PaintYorkClaretnBlue wrote:Doing some electrical work and touched the live wire having forgotten to turn the electric off!
Done that a few times - it's quite a shock.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by houseboy » Mon May 21, 2018 10:51 am

Once flying to Spain with my wife and two of my then teenage daughters. Took off from Manchester and 10 minutes or less into the flight the pilot announced we had 'developed a slight technical problem' and we would have top go back. On returning we heard the most horrendous grinding noise on the landing attempt and said landing was aborted, up we went again. Another attempt with the same result, by which time most people on the plane were looking decidedly uneasy. This happened a third and fourth time and I didn't say anything to my wife or kids but I became pretty sure the bloody wheels weren't coming down. Everybody now looked scared half to death and the couple next to me (I was sat across the walkway from my wife and girls) looked close to tears. The fifth attempt was however successful (after much grinding and wobbling) and we were landed on a remote part of runway surrounded by ambulances and fire-fighting trucks. We waited half an hour for a truck to come and tow us back to the gate, where we got off.
As we alighted we were greeted by the sight of a very red and stressed looking pilot.
It turned out the reason for the whole problem was that we had lost most of the planes hydraulic fluid (hence the wheels struggling) and later on after we came home I asked my neighbour who was a navy engineer for 20 odd years exactly what that meant. Confirming my worst suspicions he said if they had not turned around and landed we would have been, effectively, in a flying coffin with no way of steering, landing or ascending or descending and that we would just either wait till we run out of fuel or hit something. Having since read up on it, it seems the only hope is for a very skilful pilot to do a belly land after a series of stalls and restarts.
Not a great way to start a holiday.

ClaretAndJew
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ClaretAndJew » Mon May 21, 2018 10:55 am

As a cocky 13 year old thinking I could cross the road faster than a car could get to the traffic lights. Seconds later I was slipping on my arse and a car was about 18 inches away from my face.

My friend said it was like watching something in slow motion. I just got up and laughed it off.

Oh the fragility of life and the lack of care in youth.

I would have beat the car though if I didn't fall.

Dyched
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Dyched » Mon May 21, 2018 11:05 am

Probably when I was 5/6 years old. Me and my gran were at a road crossing. Looked. No cars. I stepped out and somehow she grabbed me back before a sirenless police car blasting down the wrong side hit me. I remember it was very very close to game over.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by RalphCoatesComb » Mon May 21, 2018 11:15 am

ClaretDiver wrote:A number of years ago I was diving off the coast of Perth and we were at about 17m and a 5m great white came out of the blue, there were 7 of us in the water.

It circled us for about 22 minutes whilst we made our way slowly back to the boat....once we were safely back on we straight away opened a beer.....it could have gone very differently....
Was the music from Jaws playing in the background? ;)

ClaretDiver
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ClaretDiver » Mon May 21, 2018 11:17 am

RalphCoatesComb wrote:Was the music from Jaws playing in the background? ;)
That was the last thing going through my mind....believe me!

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by RalphCoatesComb » Mon May 21, 2018 11:22 am

I've had lots of run-ins with the Grim Reaper but the closest was as a small child at the fair ground. I was watching my auntie in a "swing-boat" (Remember those? Each person in the boat pulls a rope alternatively.) I wanted to have a closer look and put my head on the brake bar. My grandad, with the reactions of a cat on an electric stove, pulled me away with the swing-boat bearing down. Don't remember much of it but it must have been very close.

Wile E Coyote
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Wile E Coyote » Mon May 21, 2018 9:33 pm

deanothedino wrote:If it was electrocution, congratulations on posting as a dead person.
wishful thinking on your part , but one can suffer electrocution and survive.

paulus the woodgnome
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by paulus the woodgnome » Mon May 21, 2018 10:29 pm

After watching England lose to Germany in 2010 (Lampard disallowed goal game), I was slightly drunk and very hungry. Took Mrs Woodgnome for a curry. Didn’t bother chewing a lump of meat properly and it lodged in my throat. It’s a horrible feeling when you can’t swallow or breathe.

A guy on a table near us saw I was in trouble and stood up as did I. I motioned to him and he came over a performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on me. The lump of meat pops back up into my mouth. I thank the guy and continue my meal. If it hadn’t worked I was a goner.

ClaretEngineer
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ClaretEngineer » Mon May 21, 2018 10:33 pm

I’ve just remembered another.

I was playing football with the lads on Rosehill Juniors astro turf pitch one evening when I was all of sudden under the “two minute warning” of needing a dump. Home was at least 10 minutes as was any of the lads houses. I darted down to the Junior school with cheeks firmly clenched in the blind hope that it would be open (why would it have been?!) Brownies was on that evening, so the school was open, what a stroke of luck!

It was a close run thing. I got my trollies down, just, but my a*se hadnt even touched the seat before there was an almighty explosion.

Oh the relief.

paulus the woodgnome
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by paulus the woodgnome » Mon May 21, 2018 10:40 pm

Rear wheel blow out on my 400 Four. Just had to "follow" the bike where it wanted to go, which was straight into the oncoming traffic. Fortunately (for me at least!) there wasn't any.

FactualFrank
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by FactualFrank » Mon May 21, 2018 10:48 pm

Intensive Care in a Florida hospital for 2 weeks I guess comes close. A dream holiday! Comes back to Burnley General, then Manchester - they even had plans to name the bloody illness after me, they were so perplexed what was wrong.

I was on holiday with a group of friends a few years ago. We were walking along a very narrow road with a huge drop - must have been a good 100 foot drop. My mate tripped and nearly went off the side. I grabbed his hood and pulled him back. This was the first night - 14 days later he was still a bit quiet, it shook him up that much.

Wile E Coyote
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Wile E Coyote » Mon May 21, 2018 11:08 pm

Ive had a couple with cars, lost control on M6, went into a spin, and continued to spin, facing oncoming lorries and seeing them swerve past successfully was bad for the nerves.
same again on m65, early morning heavy traffic, suddenly front end began to swerve, once again 360 turns. Garage said differential gear had seized up locking one of the rear wheels. Im no mechanic, and that was a bad one.

WadingInDeeper
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by WadingInDeeper » Tue May 22, 2018 12:17 am

Three spring to mind from childhood.

A group of us playing/digging in a large pile of builders sand on the back street (we didn't need an xbox or social media for fun in those days), one lad swung his metal spade back and sliced my lower eye lid, cue loud scream and blood everywhere, but somehow he missed my eye.

Another time, crossing the road (safely obviously) I forgot to look properly and ended up contorting my body to swerve round the front of a car, with my hand on the bonnet.

The one that has always haunted me, and left me wondering what if. About 6-8, on an organised trip at a playing field, towards the end of the night I was on the periphery of what was going on, when two men asked me to go over and talk to them. Fortunately I had the sense to go back to the group, which was starting to make its way back, and made sure I was near the middle of the group as we walked back.

HieronymousBoschHobs
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by HieronymousBoschHobs » Tue May 22, 2018 2:56 am

I once ODed on heroin and coke. The people with me rang an ambulance but nicked my phone.

box_of_frogs
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by box_of_frogs » Tue May 22, 2018 3:57 am

ClaretDiver wrote:That was the last thing going through my mind....believe me!
At least the last thing going through your mind wasn’t it’s teeth....

ClaretDiver
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ClaretDiver » Tue May 22, 2018 8:00 am

box_of_frogs wrote:At least the last thing going through your mind wasn’t it’s teeth....
When I look back at the experience I realise that although we were very lucky that day in that respect we were lucky in other ways. To be that up close and personal to an apex predator of that size was amazing. The battle scars and the sheer size were amazing....the teeth were like massive knives....

deanothedino
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by deanothedino » Tue May 22, 2018 9:36 am

Wile E Coyote wrote:wishful thinking on your part , but one can suffer electrocution and survive.
Not with the true meaning of the word you can't without at least serious injury, though I appreciate the term now gets more widely used.

NottsClaret
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by NottsClaret » Tue May 22, 2018 9:58 am

None of them are escapes really, for any of us. More like a postponement. Happy Tuesday everyone.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ŽižkovClaret » Tue May 22, 2018 10:15 am

I wrote to try and get on Jim'll fix it

piston broke
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by piston broke » Tue May 22, 2018 11:39 am

Another flashback.
Justpicked up a new bike in Padiham with Look cleats, I’d never worn them before. Stopped for a red light at top of Tod Rd. behind a lorry, a car behind me. Lights change, lorry pulls away, I give a big push on the right pedal then can’t get the left cleat into the pedal, bike stops and I fall over but out into the road. The car was just accelerating to overtake me. Thankfully he stopped just a couple of inches from turning my head to mush.

Chip Harrison
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Chip Harrison » Tue May 22, 2018 11:49 am

In my experience, people don't talk about real life or death experiences. I've looked death in the eye once in horrific circumstances and I don't think I have ever told more than 2 people about it.
Yes I've had scrapes, nearly got run over, fell out of a tree, come off my motor bike at least 3 times, but none like that one.

box_of_frogs
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by box_of_frogs » Tue May 22, 2018 12:03 pm

I think it depends on an individuals personality. Some people will tell others, some won't.
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BFCmaj
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by BFCmaj » Tue May 22, 2018 12:11 pm

paulus the woodgnome wrote:After watching England lose to Germany in 2010 (Lampard disallowed goal game), I was slightly drunk and very hungry. Took Mrs Woodgnome for a curry. Didn’t bother chewing a lump of meat properly and it lodged in my throat. It’s a horrible feeling when you can’t swallow or breathe.

A guy on a table near us saw I was in trouble and stood up as did I. I motioned to him and he came over a performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on me. The lump of meat pops back up into my mouth. I thank the guy and continue my meal. If it hadn’t worked I was a goner.
I had to do the same on my 9 year old daughter about a month ago. She was choking on a wine gum and came running to go upstairs to find my wife just as I was going out. I went into auto pilot and performed the heimlich manoeuvre and said sweet popped out onto the porch floor. It wasn’t until afterwards that I thought how that could have ended up. She was shaken and quite upset.

piston broke
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by piston broke » Tue May 22, 2018 12:29 pm

paulus the woodgnome wrote:After watching England lose to Germany in 2010 (Lampard disallowed goal game), I was slightly drunk and very hungry. Took Mrs Woodgnome for a curry. Didn’t bother chewing a lump of meat properly and it lodged in my throat. It’s a horrible feeling when you can’t swallow or breathe.

A guy on a table near us saw I was in trouble and stood up as did I. I motioned to him and he came over a performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on me. The lump of meat pops back up into my mouth. I thank the guy and continue my meal. If it hadn’t worked I was a goner.
I was sat opposite the boss for lunch. he starts going purple and looks like his head is about to explode. Thinking he has something stuck and it being a long way round to do the Heimlich I reach over and am about to punch his chest with everything I've got. He looks terrified and waves me off.
He was trying to hold in a sneeze!!
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ontario claret » Tue May 22, 2018 4:32 pm

The first time I flew to Europe in 1978, another plane ran off of the runway at Pearson Airport in Toronto that very day. That'll give you second thoughts about trans-Atlantic air travel.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Hipper » Tue May 22, 2018 4:51 pm

I was told the Heimlich manoeuvre is a last resort as you can break someone's ribs that way. First chance is to slap their back apparently.

About 10 years old at the swimming pool, my Mum says to me 'why don't you try and jump in off the side backwards?' Why indeed, so I tried. I stood on the pool edge and jumped in backwards. I noticed that as I jumped my head moved forward a bit. Anyway, when I got back to the surface a fellow came up and asked me if I'd done that before. I said 'no'. He then told me that a girl had tried this last week and caught her chin on the edge of the pool. That thought haunts me to this day.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by South West Claret. » Tue May 22, 2018 5:26 pm

piston broke wrote:I was sat opposite the boss for lunch. he starts going purple and looks like his head is about to explode. Thinking he has something stuck and it being a long way round to do the Heimlich I reach over and am about to punch his chest with everything I've got. He looks terrified and waves me off.
He was trying to hold in a sneeze!!
:D Very good that.

piston broke
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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by piston broke » Tue May 22, 2018 6:41 pm

Hipper wrote:I was told the Heimlich manoeuvre is a last resort as you can break someone's ribs that way. First chance is to slap their back apparently.

About 10 years old at the swimming pool, my Mum says to me 'why don't you try and jump in off the side backwards?' Why indeed, so I tried. I stood on the pool edge and jumped in backwards. I noticed that as I jumped my head moved forward a bit. Anyway, when I got back to the surface a fellow came up and asked me if I'd done that before. I said 'no'. He then told me that a girl had tried this last week and caught her chin on the edge of the pool. That thought haunts me to this day.
When I was at school, about 14, they introduced us to weights. One poor lad was raising the bar from his chest to overhead but it never got there. He slammed it under his chin and needed hospital.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by Hipper » Tue May 22, 2018 7:58 pm

We had a lad at school who decided to walk in front of the shot puts. He got hit on the temple, was taken to hospital and survived. A very luck boy as I was told at the time that getting hit on the temple can be a killer.

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Re: Anyone had a narrow escape ??

Post by ebby » Wed May 23, 2018 4:10 am

Trapped in a cave in France for 6 days.

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