What’s your scariest ‘near miss’?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by FireFly

Not sure if this qualifies but I definitely lost some years of life over it...

My husband, daughter and I were at a friend's house near Priddis; the adults were drinking and so we stayed overnight. We put our daughter to bed in one guest room and later that night went to bed in a different one.

Mom sense kicked in sometime in the middle of the night. I awoke from the sound of strange footsteps and went to check on my daughter. As I was nearing the room she was supposed to be in, I heard a muffled scream and then "MOMMY" also muffled. I yelled out at the top of my lungs that I was coming and took off to look for her.

She apparently had decided to go look for me in the middle of the night and had gone upstairs... and then went outside.

Now this was in February when it was -35 at night. We were in Priddis and she was wearing her snowboots (thankfully she put them on) and her pyjamas. Outside. In the pitch black. In -35.

Thankfully when I got her inside she seemed uninjured from her ordeal; in fact wasn't even cold yet, certainly chilly though. The design of the house was such that she was at least blocked from the wind. However, I will never forget my level of terror.

Thank God for mom-sense. Not a single other person in the house heard a thing. Not her, not me yelling, nothing. And I was the drunkest. Just unreal.

The paternal instinct is a strange and powerful thing. I can pick out the slightest sound of my daughter over and above any noise.
And then there's just the more instinctual examples like yours, where you just sense that things are not right.
I strongly believe there is something to it, which is why as parents when our instincts tell us something is wrong or a situation is dangerous for our child - one should listen even if it seems irrational.

[DoubleF]

I went on a cruise with friends on the Royal Caribbean a few years ago. We all had a blast and came home with nary a thought. A few weeks later, a buddy who was also on the trip showed us an article he stumbled upon. Apparently the next round of guests that exact ship picked up ended up having to be quarantined for a major Norovirus outbreak. We were lucky to be on that cruise a week earlier, otherwise, even if we didn't contract Norovirus, the end result would have been nasty.

EDIT: Oops, missed the scariest part of the "near miss".


I guess I almost drove into Shuswap lake once. There's that turn just after Golden or whatever where it goes from highways speeds to 70kmph I believe... I guess I was tired and I was admiring the scenery and lost track for a few seconds.

There's also a roundabout on the QE2 somewhere (I forget if it is around Red Deer, Airdrie or both) where there's no guard rails and a giant pool at the bottom. I almost drove off the road into that body of water a few times. I must have been tired and stared at the body of water a few moments too long.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I went on a cruise with friends on the Royal Caribbean a few years ago. We all had a blast and came home with nary a thought. A few weeks later, a buddy who was also on the trip showed us an article he stumbled upon. Apparently the next round of guests that exact ship picked up ended up having to be quarantined for a major Norovirus outbreak. We were lucky to be on that cruise a week earlier, otherwise, even if we didn't contract Norovirus, the end result would have been nasty.

On my honeymoon in Greece in 2000 we took a ferry around the Cyclades. A couple of weeks after we got home we saw in the news that the very same ferry we were on wrecked on a reef. No one was on the bridge as the crew was all watching a soccer game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Express_Samina

The accident resulted in 81 deaths and the loss of the ship. The cause of the accident was crew negligence, for which several members were found criminally liable. The crew had placed the ship on autopilot and there were no crew members watching the ship.

[Fuzz]

We were in Thailand for the Tsunami. Our original plan was for my wife and I to go to Phi Phi beach and meet my brother, his GF, and my dad after. But my brother always gets what he wants, so we changed our plans and went to Kho Phangnan for the full moon party which was on the sheltered side of the Tsunami area, and we'd got to Phi Phi after. Turns out that decision probably saved our lives, as Phi Phi was one of the hardest hit.


We were also in Jamaica for Hurricane Sandy, but we mostly just got a hurricane party in the pool out of that one...death was not imminent.

[AltaGuy]

I have a couple:

First one was in Peru when a plane I flew on the day before - same route, same plane, same crew - crashed and killed everyone on board. Saw the paper a few days later and went... woah.

Second was closer. In 2009 I went outside for a smoke break on a record-breaking cold day in Edmonton (-60 with windchill). I was alone in the office on a Sunday. The door locked behind me, and I had no way out of the enclosed space between the buildings. Thankfully I had a down parka, so I had time to wait until someone from a nearby office happened to see me waving at them. I was out there about 30 minutes. Almost lost a toe.

[CliffFletcher]

Kayaking on the Slave River.

I was living in Fort Smith and had been taking lessons - had my hip roll down and everything - and the club leader figured I was ready to hit the big water. Things went okay for about 15 minutes, until I hit an eddy line and flipped. Couldn't manage my roll, so I had to bail. And since the Slave River is so frickin' huge (fun fact: the rapids at Ft. Smith see twice the volume of water as the Niagara Falls), I had to be helped back into my boat as we floated downriver.

This happened several more times: flip, bail, floating rescue. Each time a tremendous drain of energy. And now a storm is rolling in fast. Sky has darkened. Lighting starting to flash. The rest of the club has gone back to shore. But I'm in the middle of the river, at least 100 meters from shore, bailing again and again, and getting completely exhausted.

The club leader is trying to guide me back to shore, across boils and eddy lines. I'm completely bonked by this point, shaking. At one point he starts screaming at me to follow him and paddle hard. I paddle hard, even though I can barely hold the paddle.

We make it back to shore and I kiss the ground. Over a beer later, the club leader remarks that if I hadn't paddled hard and got out of that current when he was screaming at me, I would have gone over the rapids. Which are actually called the Rapids of the Drowned.

I haven't been in a kayak since.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

Second was closer. In 2009 I went outside for a smoke break on a record-breaking cold day in Edmonton (-60 with windchill). I was alone in the office on a Sunday. The door locked behind me, and I had no way out of the enclosed space between the buildings. Thankfully I had a down parka, so I had time to wait until someone from a nearby office happened to see me waving at them. I was out there about 30 minutes. Almost lost a toe.

How many "Smoking can kill you" jokes did you have to endure after that?

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I went on a cruise with friends on the Royal Caribbean a few years ago. We all had a blast and came home with nary a thought. A few weeks later, a buddy who was also on the trip showed us an article he stumbled upon. Apparently the next round of guests that exact ship picked up ended up having to be quarantined for a major Norovirus outbreak. We were lucky to be on that cruise a week earlier, otherwise, even if we didn't contract Norovirus, the end result would have been nasty.

EDIT: Oops, missed the scariest part of the "near miss".


I guess I almost drove into Shuswap lake once. There's that turn just after Golden or whatever where it goes from highways speeds to 70kmph I believe... I guess I was tired and I was admiring the scenery and lost track for a few seconds.

There's also a roundabout on the QE2 somewhere (I forget if it is around Red Deer, Airdrie or both) where there's no guard rails and a giant pool at the bottom. I almost drove off the road into that body of water a few times. I must have been tired and stared at the body of water a few moments too long.

What? Where is there a traffic circle on the QE2?

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Kayaking on the Slave River.

I was living in Fort Smith and had been taking lessons - had my hip roll down and everything - and the club leader figured I was ready to hit the big water. Things went okay for about 15 minutes, until I hit an eddy line and flipped. Couldn't manage my roll, so I had to bail. And since the Slave River is so frickin' huge (fun fact: the rapids at Ft. Smith see twice the volume of water as the Niagara Falls), I had to be helped back into my boat as we floated downriver.

This happened several more times: flip, bail, floating rescue. Each time a tremendous drain of energy. And now a storm is rolling in fast. Sky has darkened. Lighting starting to flash. The rest of the club has gone back to shore. But I'm in the middle of the river, at least 100 meters from shore, bailing again and again, and getting completely exhausted.

The club leader is trying to guide me back to shore, across boils and eddy lines. I'm completely bonked by this point, shaking. At one point he starts screaming at me to follow him and paddle hard. I paddle hard, even though I can barely hold the paddle.

We make it back to shore and I kiss the ground. Over a beer later, the club leader remarks that if I hadn't paddled hard and got out of that current when he was screaming at me, I would have gone over the rapids. Which are actually called the Rapids of the Drowned.

I haven't been in a kayak since.

I used to joke with my kayak buddies that I'd never be strapped into one of those death logs, but one day up at the quarry he convinced me to get in, with the skirt on, and showed how easy it was to get out. "Just don't panic!" So, fine, he pushes me straight backward, and with the paddle held completely horizontal, me paralyzed with fear, I drifted back gently.....and instantly rolled over. Of course I panicked and could only manage to get my head above water, twisted around the side of the watery coffin. He came running out and saved my dying ass. I have never gotten in one again, and never will.

[undercoverbrother]

There's also a roundabout on the QE2 somewhere (I forget if it is around Red Deer, Airdrie or both) where there's no guard rails and a giant pool at the bottom. I almost drove off the road into that body of water a few times. I must have been tired and stared at the body of water a few moments too long.

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

What? Where is there a traffic circle on the QE2?

Yeah I reckon he is confused.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Nothing major. The usual stuff involving near misses when driving or as a pedestrian.

Two things come to mind.

Almost fell down a manhole that had no cover back when I was 4 or 5. Still remember that one. Lived in a new neighborhood and they hadn't got around to putting on the manhole covers on yet.

Almost fell off a cliff. Back when I lived in Golden I had to climb a big hill to get home. Figured it would save some time to go the back way. Steep cliff with overhang. I was at the edge leaning over (probably yelling at my friends below). Sure enough it crumbles under me, I fall and catch myself by grabbing onto some plants near the edge and pulled myself up. The drop wasn't super far and the hill was slanted but it sure as #### would have hurt a lot and probably broke my legs and possibly other stuff.

[manwiches]

I've had plenty of near misses. Here's my top 2

Back when I was in the field outside of Drayton Valley, I was walking a line with waist deep snow. I had dropped my helper on the other side of the line 1 mile away with a radio, and we just continued on working towards each other. Keep in mind, this was way before all the safety stuff started coming in, so this was normal then. Anyhow, I'm walking through this untouched snow, merrily working away, sweating my bag off. I get way past the halfway point, wonder where the hell my helper is. Radio him, he's confused and doesn't know what to do. So I grumble, say I'll go over to his side after I walk back and pick up the truck. I turn around and start making my way down the trail I had broke. About 100 yards walking back, I notice fresh tracks on the snow. Closer inspection, about 3-4" wide. I keep walking, and notice they're in and out of the trees. FML. I was being stalked by a Cougar. I oddly had cell phone reception, and called my wife (girlfriend at the time). She was wondering why I was calling in the middle of the field and day, and I told her I just wanted to hear her voice before I was likely going to die. She talked to me the whole way back to the truck, and I was never more grateful. I'm pretty sure my talking kept the cougar at bay. Could have amounted to nothing, but nonetheless, I was scared out of my mind.

Second incident happened last summer. Went to a new resort in north of Cancun. We wanted to avoid the drug drama, and figured we'd be safe on one of the hotels in the new inlets. Loved our time there and had a blast. We get back, and literally 2 weeks later, we hear there is a shooting on the beach of where we stayed, where 2 people died. There's a FB group about the resort that I was following, so I saw all the updates and pictures from tourists there. Literally where we posted up 5 out of the 7 days was where the shoot out occurred, right at the same time we were always there. My wife is a bit spooked to go back to Mexico now.

[jammies]

The hospital I was born in was a mere 300 km south of Edmonton.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by jammies

The hospital I was born in was a mere 300 km south of Edmonton.

And here I thought you were born in the basement of Chicken on the Way.

[Redliner]

I've probably come close to dying more times than I want to think about, but two really stand out.

Back when I was 17 I had gone to pick my grandmother up and bring her back to our house for a family dinner. We lived in Lethbridge and she was in a little town about 20 minutes away. It was late May and had been raining heavily for a few days, and the highway had pretty deep wheel ruts that were completely full of water. I was going about 90 and thinking that was probably too fast when this pickup truck came flying up behind us and pulled out to pass me. They were almost past me when the truck suddenly hydroplaned and turned sideways across my lane right in front of me. I hit the brakes and immediately hydroplaned myself, but managed to keep control. The truck somehow kept sliding sideways down the highway in front of me, like some invisible force was holding our vehicles apart. I can still remember looking up at the guy's wife in the passenger seat of that truck as she stared back at me, literally about 15 feet away. Finally the truck must have caught a drier patch of road or something because it spun again, did a complete 360, and went backwards off the road into the ditch. By that time I was thankfully slowing down so I pulled over and ran back to see if the people in the truck were OK. They had gone through a barbed wire fence and a fence post had impaled their gas tank and there was gas everywhere. I didn't know if their truck was going to explode or something so I quickly helped them get out and took them back to my car. It was an elderly couple and the wife was a little banged up but amazingly they had no serious injuries. This was the days before cellphones so I ended up driving them into Lethbridge so they could call for help. I thought my grandmother would have been freaking out the whole time, but she was completely calm.

The second one was also when I was in my teens, also in Lethbridge. I was riding my mountain bike in the coulees on a trail next to the river when a rabbit ran out of the bushes right in front of me. It startled me and I grabbed too much front brake and endo'd, pitching forward over the bars. Two things made this very bad:
1. The section of trail I was on was on a narrow shelf about 12 feet above the river bank.
2. This being the early 90s and me being a stupid kid, I was not wearing a helmet.
After getting ejected off the bike and over the side of the cliff, I somehow did a complete somersault and twisted around in the air so when I hit the river bank I landed feet first in the mud with my back facing the river. Momentum kept me falling backwards and when I looked over my shoulder I could see a large pointy rock exactly where my head was going to go. I was certain I was about to die. It actually was scary how calm it felt, like I just knew it was going to happen and I just closed my eyes and waited for the impact. I was completely shocked when I felt my head going into the water instead, and it actually took me a second or two to realize I was still alive. I crawled out of the river and just sat there shaking for a long time. The crazy thing is I could see my footprints in the mud where I landed and they were very sharply defined - not smudged at all like they would be if I had twisted when falling. I definitely fell straight back and to this day I swear that rock moved.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

2 times I nearly bought it...

1-I was hammered and was being driven home on highway...decided that it would be amazing to climb out passenger window and ride on the roof of the car.

2-Came face to face with a bear when walking the dog

[JonDuke]

I've had a few but will share only one cause it's long. (that's what she said)

I was working a flight once, about 10 years ago. I was the lead flight attendant that day. I sat in the front, checked boarding passes at the door and was the one who spoke to the pilots the most. This was a 737-700 and was very new, relatively speaking. Under 5 years, for sure.

After everyone boarded (I think there was 29 of 136 possible passengers), I noticed the main cabin door (the one people entered from) did not close all the way. There was about a 1 inch gap. I opened and closed it two times and it didn't correct itself. So, I radioed up to the pilots and told them. They immediately dismissed it, saying there was nothing wrong and that it would "seal" soon. "Ok, cool." I said. I had no reason to ever doubt a pilot.

It's in Toronto. Late night. Maybe 10pm. We taxi for a solid 5 minutes toward the runway. Before they can leave, I have to call again and tell them the "cabin is secure for takeoff". I instead use this moment to again tell the pilots that the door was still not fully sealed and that it was loud and cold from taxing to the runway.

As professionally as I could, I said something like "I respect that you've been a pilot for X amount of years, but I've been a flight attendant for over 7 years and have never experienced this before." They again told me not to worry about it and assured me it would "seal" upon the taking off. Ok then, I said, Cabin is secure for take off.

The engine fire up, and we're heading down the runway to take off. It was an experience I'll never forget. The noise from the engines was extremely loud. I think it was late fall and the cold night air raced into the cabin and created a sweet vortex that took made the dust from the entire plane fly toward me and out the opening of the door.

As the wheels left the ground, passengers on the plane were visibly worried, and looked toward the 2 of us at the front for any hint of what/if anything was wrong.
Here's a pro tip for anyone who's afraid of flying: If you ever experience something scary on a flight, like turbulence or a strange noise, look at the flight attendant. If they don't look worried, you probably have no reason to be either.
It was tough for me to pretend to be calm. I picked up the phone and called the flight deck. I was interrupting them during a critical phase of flight. Unless it's an emergency, you are NOT supposed to interrupt right after take off.

Because of the noise, I had to speak fairly loudly, but don't think any passengers heard me cause it was very loud for them as well.
I waited about 10 seconds and said " I don't know if you can hear me or not, but the door still has not closed and I think we need to land." I found out later that the pilot did respond, but I never heard him.
We landed 8 minutes later, doing an emergency landing back in Toronto.
When we eventually got to our destination, we had to debrief. The captain bought the drinks and was super apologetic about the whole thing. Free drinks? Twas a happy ending.

I know that I didn't come close to death, and I've had quite a few on airplanes, but that ranks up there as one of the more scarier moments.

[Inferno]

I almost got hit by a car when I was a teenager. I wasn't paying attention when I crossed the road and a car stopped just in time to bump my leg and make me sit on the hood.

I felt like an idiot and one of my teammates on my house league team who was a couple years older and saw it happen gave me #### in front of my dad before a game who wasn't impressed.

[Harry Lime]

1. Got hit by a car when I was a teenager. Took out the windshield, the side mirror and a few healthy dents. Through what I assume were Batman-like reflexes, I managed to not break any bones. I did lose the ability to talk for two days, couldn't stand for five days, and when I stood up, it felt like I was in a whirlpool for two weeks.

I was released from the hospital the same day that I was hit, and the doctor's apparently just gave the 'rang his bell' speech. I still can't wear a hat without getting a headache.

2. My normal doctor goes on sabbatical and I go in to see her office-mate about a searing pain in my abdomen. It's away from my appendix, and has been growing in intensity for months, so he gives me some heavy pain killers to allow me to sleep. I do sleep, for hours on end for the first time in months, but the pain during the day is getting worse and worse.

My normal doctor comes back, and after one examination I'm booked into surgery the next day. Turns out the duodenal ulcer I had was burning it's way through my abdomen and I was a punch to the stomach from going septic and dying. At least partially due to the medication that was the opposite from what would have helped me.

I also found out recently that the doctors in question put on my permanent file (readable by any other doctor checking my history) that all symptoms were psychosomatic, and there was no wrong doing on their end. I, of course, have all of the original hospital records buried somewhere in my files, proving otherwise.

Those are my two "all doctors are not born equal" near misses.

[blender]

Driving sure is dangerous!
I walked away from rolling my truck a few years ago, but didn't feel like it was that close of a call, just frightening.
Have had several face to face grizzly encounters, one with 3 bears at once and another one where a lone male was stalking us through steep overgrown terrain until we shot it dead. Quite scary, but maybe not all that close to death.
Alpine climbing and my partner above me dislodged a telephone booth-sized boulder and it flew clear past me as I pressed up against the wall, missing me by inches and grazing my knee. Very close call.
The funniest though, without a doubt, was years ago living in Australia and having to catch the bus to work every morning. Always late and sprinting for the bus at the last second and one morning I'm really cutting it fine and the bus is actually pulling away from the stop and I am on the wrong side of it, so I decide to dart in front of it and hail the driver to stop, but I trip and fall flat in front of the wheels. The driver slams on the brakes at the last second and the tire stops literally inches from my face. The image of the tread pattern is burned into my mind to this day. I picked myself up from the road crossed in front and tapped on the door. When he opened it I thanked him for stopping and got on. Made it to work on time.