Ok then, how many times have you actually THOUGHT you were about to die?

[Guest]

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Why are you using the metric system to describe distance? Your the first American I know who does so??

The US military uses metric units for almost anything involving ballistics.

mh

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"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[DexterBase 0]

All military terms are metric. Especially when dealing with artillery or air support.

[mnealtx 0]

Only once that I can remember:

Swerved to avoid a dog in the middle of the highway.

Sliding sideways in a pickup truck at 70mph, I KNEW I was dead.

I'm still not quite sure how it didn't rollover, but I'm sure glad it didn't!

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[unformed 0]

Waking up in the driver's seat as the car hit the curb and was going right towards a telephone pole. I crawled out of that wreck with a black eye and chipped tooth, the people at the junkyard said by the looks of the car I should have fared much worse.

Waking up in the passenger seat of a car as it flew off the interstate and rolled down a hill. Don't know how neither got any bruises. I wasn't even wearing a seat belt.

I know there's more but those are the two that stick out.

I haven't had a cutaway yet, but I don't think that would be nearly as scary, since part of my mind halfway expects it to happen, and the malfunction procedures have been drilled into my head so many times, it's almost second nature, so there wouldn't be any worries just run the drill. Now, if the reserve mal'ed, that'd be pretty scary.

This ad space for sale.

[JeepDiver 0]

1) Downhill racing on my 10 speed when I was 9 years old, I never saw the car that hit me, I just knew I was flying. Luckly for me I bounced off the windshield and didn't go through it.

2) Crossing a bridge over Lake Panasoffkee on I-75 doing about 90 mph. That wreck tore the front-end off the Nissan Maxima I was driving. It all happend in slowmo like an onboard NASCAR camera. I had time enough to say "Oh Shit". Lesson learned never hit a Bridge Abutment doing 90 mph.

3) It's no fun at all to get shot at.

[mnealtx 0]

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3) It's no fun at all to get shot at.

It DOES concentrate the mind, doesn't it?


As in, the only thought at the moment is "HOLY SHIT!!!!"

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Mikki_ZH 0]

1) Almost Air Plane crash in Peru 3 years ago with Aire Continente (Try not to ever fly with this airline; they have the oldest planes I ever sat in…)
2) Got lost on a Ski tour in the Swiss Alps and we had to climb an Ice Canyon with our ski boots which got steeper and steeper. We had to throw away our skis in order to climb.
I was 13 at this time and when we finally got back in the night, they had already put together a searching troop.
3) Climbing in Italy, I was leading and there was no possibility to set anything so I climbed for almost 45m and 1 m before the stand I got a cramp in one of my legs. To fall in this situation would have meant to fall for about 90 m.
That was why I got a little nervous and thought that’s it. But the cramp stopped and I did not fall…
4) After a jump in Argentina, my Canopy was already open, someone past me in freefall with his canopy in line stretch. I first heard him, and then I saw him pass by me in a distance of 3 to 5 meters.
It’s not that I thought I was going to die but after I landed, I thought that I could have died very easy if the jumper had leaved the plane maybe a part of a second earlier or later. Close call…

Michi (#1068)
hsbc/gba/sba
www.swissbaseassociation.ch
www.michibase.ch

[linny 0]

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I have been afraid,no terrified, A few. it's hard to tell the difference once you are alive again....
~J

How right you are there

[Rainbo 0]

without details all I can say is I have very active guardian angels.

Rainbo
TheSpeedTriple - Speed is everything
"Blessed are those who can give without remembering, and take without forgetting."

[AggieDave 6]

1. When the engine died on a 182 my DZ used to have at 250ft, after that I looked out the window (sitting JM) in the door and saw nothing but trees. We were in a hard bank to make a suitable field for landing.

We all walked away without a scratch due to Pilot Mike being a fucking badass!

It didn't really hit me until a day or two afterwards. When we got back to the DZ I was PISSED our other plane was down for a 100hr and we couldn't jump.


2. Losing altitude awareness during spinning linetwists and popping out at 500ft to realize that the only place I have to land is in the middle of a lot of powerlines in the small front lawn of a business next to the highway. Luck and God played a big roll on that one...I was on the edge of a stall trying to sink as low as I could, let it fly and ended up swooping under some powerlines and stopping in the bar ditch of the highway. My canopy fell into the highway (thank god no cars were there right then). I pulled it out of the road and sat in the bar ditch shaking for a couple of minutes.

It wasn't really until I stopped that everything hit me, though...that's when I realized how lucky I had gotten.

I posted about it and posted pics of the landing area right after it happened...if you care, feel free to search...I doubt most folks care though.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[mr2mk1g 10]

In retrospect, yes. Several times.

At the time, NO. I was always too busy at the time dealing with the actual situation to think I was about to die... I'm a problem solver and my first thought is always about how to solve the problem, not about the potential ramifications.

Maybe that's why I never died?

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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Bunch of times.

It taught me what I think is an important lesson: Equipment can kill you, but only people can murder you.

That will make sense to some folks, but not others.

Amen brother.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[bobsled92 0]

you and Free climbing for waterfall jumping!
____________________________________________
I'll climb at an indoor climbing gym but, outdoor free climbing scares the crap out of me. I love climbing towers and poles but, that's for a living and I'm strapped in.

_______________________________
If I could be a Super Hero,
I chose to be: "GRANT-A-CLAUS". and work 365 days a Year.
http://www.hangout.no/speednews/

[flyangel2 2]

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The climb wasn't so bad but I was 6 inches shorter than my friends and at one point I couldn't reach high enough to get over a ledge. It took me several minutes longer to figure out how to get up that part and my then they were long gone.

Most of the world is six inches taller then you

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[AggieDave 6]

That's funny, since I took hookit's comments a whole different direction...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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I had a 7.62 tracer round fly so close to my face that I could feel it snap past my head? (this happened probably 20 times in about half an hour.)

I had mortar rounds impacting around me as I was hugging the earth in the open. After the incoming stopped, we found craters less than 40 meters away. (if you don't know, a 120 mm mortar will kill you if you're standing up within 70 meters of the impact.) As they come in you can hear the round cutting the air with a very destinctive hum/whistle.

Being in a simulated combat situation was scary enough for me. -I think what scared me the most was that I might end up with some of the idiot women that were in my basic platoon in a live situation. I knew we'd just all f*cking die if they were allowed out into the 'real world'.

I honestly don't know what I would have done had I really been in the middle of it. All I can ever do is hope that I would have been worthy of what I was set out to do, so cheers to you, buddy. I'll buy you and Katie a next time I head out to Blue Skies.

Edited to add: I was interested in the pics y'all posted on Blue Skies site. Very intriguing, and some really good shots.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Conundrum 1]

I was 13 and my best friend Elena lived across the street from me. Our nieghborhood was on the edge of a huge canyon, great for hiking. We used to go all the time. Her backyard was actually part of the canyon so we'd simply hop the chainlinked fence and have some fun.

There's a waterfall back in the mountains and we were determined to find it, so off we go. Through bushes and climbing on our bellies through muddy terrain because there was no other way to go, we finally got to a clearing. Problem was, to get to the other side, we had to walk across this really skinny, sandy edge of a bg drop off. No problem, right? We knew what we were doing.

Elena starts her way over and about half way across, the dirt below her feet gives way, she falls and begins sliding down towards the edge of the cliff, but liuckily grabs onto a little bush sticking out the side. I leap onto my belly and reach for her. Of course, the branch she's hanging onto rips out of the ground and we are both screaming, no one can hear us of course, we are in the middle of nowhere.

Just a second after she yanked the bush out, I grabbed her hand, but I thought there was no way in hell I'd be able to pull her up. I was scared to death, all this happend in less than a minute.

Finally, we find a way to get her back up. We sat there in the mud for a second to re-evaluate what the hell we were doing.

We decided to go back home.

We never told anyone about it.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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Came through the cloud after my third backloop in a stand up, looked at the ground and realised I could make out people, pulled and had a 10 second canopy ride. Not my finest moment.

Your profile says you jump with a Cypres now...good move I think... I'm just teasing of course...I've done some bonehead things in skydiving, but nothing that was terribly dangerous. Mostly just embarrassing.

-Except there was that one time that I prolly would have died if somebody didn't point out to me that I was trying to put the wrong rig on my back...a rig with a main that was (no shit) HALF the size of the one I was used to jumping, with my 53 jumps at the time... Oopsy.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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I posted about it and posted pics of the landing area right after it happened...if you care, feel free to search...I doubt most folks care though.

I couldn't find it, Dave.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[karenmeal 0]

I guess once when I had two out and was tangled in my reserve I kinda thought I might die.. but it wasn't like "aww fuck, I'm gonna die"

Instead, I started envisioning the incident report that would follow: Female: age 18, Years in Sport: 1, Number of Jumps....

but luckily I was pretty high when everything happened and got out of my reserve at around 1000 feet. Still had a standup landing right on my target!

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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but luckily I was pretty high when everything happened and got out of my reserve at around 1000 feet. Still had a standup landing right on my target!

That's Karen for ya...she can't even fuck up when she's fucking up.

Perfect Karen...eegad!!! Where's the 'rolling eyes' smiley?!

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[boinky 0]

There were only 3 times that I could consider life threatening:

1. My ex put a gun up to my head. I was so angry, I just told him to pull the trigger or get the damned thing away from me. I think I shocked the shit out of him with my lack of fear, and he backed down.

2. A wrap that turned into a subsequent cutaway at a VERY low altitude this past July in Perris, CA. But I was concentrating so hard, it never occurred to me to be scared.
I now have a better appreciation of the words, "hard deck."

3. My handle being pushed into the BOC. I reached once and thought, "Oh shit." I reached for the second time, while mentally reviewing emergency procedures and making the decision which handle I was going to pull if I didn't get it on the third time. I reached the third time and I got it!!! WHEW!!"

You can bet I'm constantly checking my handle on the plane, on exit and in the air now! I also make sure I always pull higher than 3000 in freefall.

Nina

Are we called "DAWGs" because we stick our noses up people's butts? (RIP Buzz)
Yep, you're a postwhore-billyvance

[NWFlyer 2]

I voted "once" but now that I think about it, I don't even think I thought I was going to die then. It was about 18 months ago. I was crossing a street in the crosswalk, with the light when a dumbass ran the red light, hit another car, spun, hit me, and threw me through the air into a utility box.

Once I settled face-down on the ground and realized I could wiggle my toes, it never occurred to me that I would die. Didn't even really occur to me that I could be *that* hurt. Sure, my left leg didn't work but I thought "oh, I've just got a broken leg, they'll take me to the hospital and fix it all up." When the paramedics told me they were taking me to the local trauma center I thought "Harborview? Isn't that bit much?" It was only when I was riding the "trauma train" (as they call the series of exams you go through) that I thought of all the bad things that could be going on. After all the exams, the trauma surgeons said "We're amazed you're not more hurt."

Wasn't my day to go, I guess.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[GeordieSkydiver 0]

I've never really thought I was gonna die, but I've been in plenty situations where I almost did.

1. Drowning in a dive pool at my local leisure centre, I was only 9 and the pool was way too deep for me. A lifeguard pulled me out and resucitated me. I remember seeing my name in the papers as I was going under. I never thought I was gonna die, but I had an unhealthy fear of water after that. I still dont swim too good.

2. A bit of background to this one. Approx 2 weeks before this bike accident my girlfriend phoned me up to say that some guy had T boned a car outside our house on his motorcycle. She heard and went to help, he was concious and talking, just seemed a little beat up. Anyway with the sounds of the ambulance arriving in the distance he started to cough up blood and 2 minutes later he was dead. He drown in his own blood.

So here's me travelling at speed on my motorcycle a couple of weeks later, I'm in Northern Ireland on duty. I'm making progress down a wide country road and I come up upon this car with his brake lights all lit up. I slow down as he speeds up. I figure he's an ass, so I give him plenty of room and overtake on the outside. Just as I get about 50ft from his rear he pulls over to the middle of the road, like he's gonna make a turn. Its raining the road is wet and I'm doing 65mph committed to this overtake, if I brake or try to move back I'm toast for sure. He's not indictaing to turn, so I might have a chance. I nail the throttle and start to pass him, he then makes the final mistake in this scenario, he cuts the turn.

I hit his front right hand wheel at 80mph+, I watch my hands go through the screen on my bike, I feel my groin then feet hit the handlebars on the way past "broken toes" I think to myself. I also think 'that wasn't so bad, if I dont hit anything hard....' I do my best superman impression for about 80ft through the air. Luckily, because I'd given him so much room I'm way over on the other side of the road. This helps as I land on the grass at the side of the road, head and left shoulder first. I do a few handstands and cartwheels to pass the time and end up rightside up in a ditch.

I'm Pissed! I go to stand up and kick someones ass when the pain hits. I grey out, almost to the point of unconciousness. Deep breathing brings me back, 'ok, I'm alive, time to check my equipment. "left leg, right leg, arms ARRGGHHH. They hurt. Fingers, toes ARRGHHHHH they hurt too. Ribs, ARRGGGHHH. Neck...hmmm ok,head....ok too."

I lie there waiting for something to happen. Eventually people turn up. This is another story altogether "no shit there I was" I was on counter terrorism ops at the time,and armed. The 9mm took out a couple of ribs too.

An ambulance turns up, they gimme the twice over, and start to put me on the neck brace/backboard, they get about halfway done and I cough... then spit.. shit.. its deep red blood,and it keeps coming.

I then have a flashback to last week and my girlfriends expierence.

I have sudden realisation that I'm going to die.

I wasn't scared or shaking, I was just pissed.

They get me to a hospital and my world goes kinda crazy for a while.

Anyway, it turns out I only bust up my left lung, thats howcome I didn't die. My injuries were not insubstanial.

Brusied lung, spleen, diaphragm, broken ribs, broken clavicle, broken fingers + toes, bruised thighs, dislocated shoulders (both) dislocated elbow and a cut dick. (273 stitches required)

I lost 5 litres of blood, was in intensive for a day or two, local medical centre overnight and back home 3 days later. I had a couple of weeks off work, then six months of light duties. I recovered fully.

It took me 3 years to even get back on a bike again. I now ride as normal.

3. I've had quite a few 7.62mm and semtex explosions close enough to me to hurt, but I never thought I was gonna die.

Sorry for the length, but you did ask....lmao.

Lee _______________________________

In a world full of people, only some want to fly, is that not crazy?
http://www.ukskydiver.co.uk

[DexterBase 0]

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3. I've had quite a few 7.62mm and semtex explosions close enough to me to hurt, but I never thought I was gonna die.

In my situation, the Marine who was right next to me had just died in my hands and there were rounds impacting my stationary vehicle. I figured we were in pretty bad shape when they started lobbing in RPG's and dropping mortars on us. We were in the middle of a perfectly executed ambush. It really, really sucked.