# What's your "near death" moment ?



## Sunshine1 (May 12, 2010)

Once when my husband and my son and I were fishing a  flat head tournament on the Apalachicola River, we were almost killed. No joke.

Back then the river was dredged a lot by barges. They were up and down that river a lot. 

Well we had found a nice spot to fish on the bend of the river. ( nice deeeeeeeep hole) We tied up to a tree that was in the river. So we were between the tree and the bank. It was night time.  We were in our brand spanking new john boat with a 40 horse Yamaha. 

We had been sitting there a while and something strange caught my eye. It was really dark and we weren't using any lights  except for the bow and stern lights.

But something up the river was moving and I couldn't tell what it was. But it looked like the sky was moving. I asked my husband what it was. He was facing another direction........so he  turns around and looks back up river for about 30 seconds. He is squinting his eyes trying to make it out. 
All of a sudden he hollers: REEL THEM UP!!!! to me and our son. 

A barge was headed right for us. It was so huge that we could not see the boat that was pushing it and all it's lights.....until it was almost on top of us. (This barge had no lights on it at all....only some on the boat pushing it.)  It was coming fast and it was very very quiet. ( the boat pushing it was so far back that we never heard it) 

We frantically are reeling up our poles and my husband is trying to untie us. 

The river is pretty wide but we had seen how those barges navigate and quite often they would hit the banks going around the bends. 

Naturally we assumed we would hear one coming........big mistake. 


I am in a panic at this point. My husband cranks the boat and gives it all he's got. As we are pulling away, I can  almost reach out and touch the side of the barge as it slams into the tree we were just tied to. We had about 10 seconds between the time we pulled out and the barge hitting the tree. 

The captain of the barge was hollering for us to move ---that he couldn't stop.

Needless to say, we didn't sleep on the boat that night. And we never parked on the bend again either.


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## Nicodemus (May 12, 2010)

Bring this thread back to the top in four years, and I`ll tell you.


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## Sunshine1 (May 12, 2010)

Nicodemus said:


> Bring this thread back to the top in four years, and I`ll tell you.



I hear ya.


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## vowell462 (May 12, 2010)

Sunshine1 said:


> Once when my husband and my son and I were fishing a  flat head tournament on the Apalachicola River, we were almost killed. No joke.
> 
> Back then the river was dredged a lot by barges. They were up and down that river a lot.
> 
> ...



I had one do that to me and a buddy of mine on the Saline River in south Arkansas after an afternoon duck hunt. He almost got us. Same scenario except we were picking up decoys.


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## Michael F. Gray (May 12, 2010)

December 22,1987 ; physicians diagnosed me with cancer and gave me 3-6 months. Surgeon was far from convinced I could survive surgery. Told me to have my will drawn, and kiss my children good bye before the 6:00AM report time on the 22nd. I was in a coma for several days afterward, and bedridden for three years. Today I have regained my strength, although I live with many limitations. The Lord has been MERCIFUL to his servant. I have seen my children grow up,baby is 23, oldest 37. Four girls and three boys. My wife Phyllis and I now enjoy spoiling our six grandchildren. Son #2 is getting married next Tuesday. His bride to be wants eight children. I've assured if she has them, ...I'll spoil them. My memorable moment was when I regained consciousness after the coma in the cardiac intensive care unit. The first few moments I thought I was in Heaven. Then a nurse walked with burgandy hair with 10 inch spikes. I was terribly disappointed, but was aware Heaven would have nothing so ugly spoiling it.


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## ylhatch (May 12, 2010)

feb.7th,2008,i went to work and at 720pm the plant blew up killing 14 people.i sustained 2nd,3rd and 4th degree burns over 80% of my body.stayed in the burn center in augusta for over 6 mo.i wasn't supposed to make it but here i am


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## GONoob (May 12, 2010)

I fell off my bike off a mountain on hwy 60. I only got a bruise, I also rode the bike back home.


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## Dutch (May 13, 2010)

27th Feb 1991 Jalibah Airfield Iraq....we was assaulting the airfield when we ran into heavy resistence....I saw the Bradley in front of mine get hit....the red flash of the round the puff of smoke from when it penatrated, the Brad rolling slowly to a stop as we went by...a few minutes later we was engaged by a 23mm cannon, it didn't penetrate the armor but I will never forget the sound of them rounds hitting the armor...sounded like a sledgehammer wielded by a giant pounding on a steel plate.  It been 20 years almost and I still wake up with cold sweats at night.


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## Sterling (May 13, 2010)

I was surfing as a teenager and the waves were really big on that day.  I caught a wave that was really powerful and rode it until it closed out.  Unfortunately the wave caught me and my board and pinned me to the ocean floor.  I am not sure how long I was down there, but when the wave let go and began to toss me around like I was in a washing machine.  I couldn't tell which way was up and my lungs began to burn.  I believe the Lord reminded me of the surfboard leash on my ankle  which I quickly reached for in order to get to my surf board which floated me to the surface.  Once I came to the surface I took the biggest breath of air I've ever took.  I'm alive because of the Lord's undeserved merciful protection on my life that day and everyday since.


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## shoalbass (May 13, 2010)

God has blessed all of yall.  Trust in the lord.


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## charliecfh (May 13, 2010)

I don't know how close we were to dying, but we had a pretty good scare at the Lake Russell dam when I was a kid.  We had a 16' flat bottom boat, and were tied up to the cable on the Clark Hill side.  While we were there, they flipped on that pump that sucks water back into Russell from Clark Hill.  It began to get pretty turbulent, so we decided to leave.  

We untied and were immediately swept over the cable.  Luckily, the cable had popped up in between the engine and transom.  After what seemed like an eternity of having the engine in full reverse and pushing down on the cable, we broke free.  A game warden, who witnessed the whole thing, chased us down afterwards and told us we were lucky.  

I haven't been back to that dam in a boat since!


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## dslayer2 (May 13, 2010)

March 18, 1986-Out feeding the farm animals.  Dropped off a bail of hay which spooked one of the horses.  It lunged forward, hitting me with it's breast plate and knocking me to the ground.  From years of being on the farm, I know a horse will not intentionally step on you, so I balled up as he went over.  Even though he didn't step on me, his back hoof hit me on the side of the face as he went by.  This shattered most of the right side of my face and eye brow area.  The doctor told me if the hoof had hit me 1/4" in any direction, it would have killed me instantly.  After 2 weeks in the hospital and too many stitches to count, I only have one scar and my right eye doesn't dilate, thus requiring me to always wear dark sunglasses.  The good Lord not only spared my life, but spared me a life of deformation.


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## firefighterfree (May 13, 2010)

shoalbass said:


> God has blessed all of yall.  Trust in the lord.



Shoalbass you could not have said that any clearer. All you have heart wrenching stories.


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## Havana Dude (May 13, 2010)

Sunshine1 said:


> Once when my husband and my son and I were fishing a  flat head tournament on the Apalachicola River, we were almost killed. No joke.
> 
> Back then the river was dredged a lot by barges. They were up and down that river a lot.
> 
> ...



I use to fish the Aplalach when I was a kid with my Dad, and an elderly family friend. I know exactly what your talking about. We never got that close, but it was definately a no-no to be anchored out when one of those barges came by. I remember"riding" out the waves as they went by, but never got as close as you all. The river banks are just tore up in places where barges have hit.

Been many a year since I fished it, but we used to just tear up the cats in that place.


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## MissionMagnet (May 13, 2010)

13 March 2005, The day my operational detachment and one other (16 men) engaged 2 T 55 tanks in turret defilade, about 150 plus or minus infantry with 2 50 cals, and 2 Mk 19 grenade launchers and 6 Javelin missiles. That was after surviving a Route Irish IED coming into Baghdad that cut the Humvee in front of us in half and littered ours with shrapnel. some I am still carrying with me today. About the entire tour was full of them at that time, now its a little less frequent.


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## modern_yeoman (May 13, 2010)

October 30 1999, I was behind the Milledgeville Mall with a few friends and an undercover police office. I was leaned in the officer's car window talking when 6 shots were fired into the crowd. I got hit in the back right side of my head. The bullet hit my jaw, rattled around, shattered part of my cheekbone and eye socket then exited thru the tearduct in my right eye. I almost bleed to  death in the parking lot...Long story short I was in ICU for a couple days. No surgery was required, my vision is perfect. I still have no feeling in that side of my head(for the most part) and have some bone fragments in my face. All in all wound up not being a huge deal. <----Sounds crazy huh?  

Turns out a 14 and 15 year old were the one shooting... 4 years YDC and 1 year probabtion....both got out early...


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## Crooked Stick (May 13, 2010)

*wow*



modern_yeoman said:


> October 30 1999, I was behind the Milledgeville Mall with a few friends and an undercover police office. I was leaned in the officer's car window talking when 6 shots were fired into the crowd. I got hit in the back right side of my head. The bullet hit my jaw, rattled around, shattered part of my cheekbone and eye socket then exited thru the tearduct in my right eye. I almost bleed to  death in the parking lot...Long story short I was in ICU for a couple days. No surgery was required, my vision is perfect. I still have no feeling in that side of my head(for the most part) and have some bone fragments in my face. All in all wound up not being a huge deal. <----Sounds crazy huh?
> 
> Turns out a 14 and 15 year old where the one shooting... 4 years YDC and 1 year probabtion....both got out early...



I didn't realize that was you!  I remember hearing about that when I was in college. Glad your ok.


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## fishndinty (May 13, 2010)

My wife and I almost died while we were still dating.  We were out fishing at Clinton Lake in IL and the fishing was unusually good for a summer day.  White bass, crappies, and cats were all active and chasing food, and we were loading the boat.  There was nary a cloud in the sky, but the power plant (warmwater lake) there sounded a storm alarm.  We still saw nothing, but upped anchors and started boating back to the dock.  

Soon, we saw the cause for the alarm.  Heading West under a causeway that had blocked our view of the horizon, we saw the storm, black as night against the blue sky and headed dead East toward us with a vengeance, and with strong rotation.  I immediately turned the boat around, intending to run East on the lake and take shelter in concrete bathrooms a couple of miles away, but the storm was gaining on us quickly, and we could see the funnel cloud forming.  I knew we would be cooked if we tried to outrun.

Instead, I turned the boat around again, told Tiffany I loved her, and plunged us headfirst into the storm.  We drove directly under the funnel cloud looking up through it to see the blue sky above (!??!) and promptly hit a wall of rain, hail, and lightning, which we drove through for the half mile to the boat ramp.  I ran on plane through the no wake all the way to the dock, turned on the bilge, and then sprinted to my Jeep. 

We turned on the radio and listened to make sure no more tornadoes were en route, and then waited for a lull in the storm to trailer the boat.

Heading home (eastbound), we saw the massive devastation created by the tornado that we had run directly underneath.  It cut a swath of trees and crops for 20 miles after our narrow escape. 

We were both bruised badly from the hail, but recovered fully, and I check the weather more carefully now before I go fishing.


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## badkarma (May 13, 2010)

There have been more than one occasion, but here is one of them.   DRICE on the forum and I were scouting some hunting land in the summer in Washington, GA.  It was pretty darn hot that day.  We were walking through an area of tall, mature pines the beetles had really got to that year.  In the distance we hear a loud noise.  I 'jokingly' said, "Well you know they say a tornado sounds like a train coming."  We both chuckled and within 30 seconds it hit.  The sky went from full sun to black and the wind was blowing over whole trees.  The beetles had killed most of those trees so there was plenty of dead ones to fall.  The pressure was sucking the pine needles off of the ground and they were stabbing us under our chins as they lifted up.  We were running and would have to stop to let a tree fall, then start running again to reach the hardwoods.  We weren't going to make it.  We each got on opposite sides of a tree, wrapped our legs around it and hugged it and each other as tight as we could.  Don't know how long it lasted (probably a minute or two) but it seemed like forever.  Once it passed, sky went back to full sun and a humid day just like before.  Funny thing is, as soon as it passed he looked me right in the eye and said, "Let's not EVER tell our wives this happend."  I busted out laughing.


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

Michael F. Gray said:


> December 22,1987 ; physicians diagnosed me with cancer and gave me 3-6 months. Surgeon was far from convinced I could survive surgery. Told me to have my will drawn, and kiss my children good bye before the 6:00AM report time on the 22nd. I was in a coma for several days afterward, and bedridden for three years. Today I have regained my strength, although I live with many limitations. The Lord has been MERCIFUL to his servant. I have seen my children grow up,baby is 23, oldest 37. Four girls and three boys. My wife Phyllis and I now enjoy spoiling our six grandchildren. Son #2 is getting married next Tuesday. His bride to be wants eight children. I've assured if she has them, ...I'll spoil them. My memorable moment was when I regained consciousness after the coma in the cardiac intensive care unit. The first few moments I thought I was in Heaven. Then a nurse walked with burgandy hair with 10 inch spikes. I was terribly disappointed, but was aware Heaven would have nothing so ugly spoiling it.



Praise the Lord!!!!!!! Awesome story!!!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

ylhatch said:


> feb.7th,2008,i went to work and at 720pm the plant blew up killing 14 people.i sustained 2nd,3rd and 4th degree burns over 80% of my body.stayed in the burn center in augusta for over 6 mo.i wasn't supposed to make it but here i am



WOW...........God was watching over you!!!!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

Dutch said:


> 27th Feb 1991 Jalibah Airfield Iraq....we was assaulting the airfield when we ran into heavy resistence....I saw the Bradley in front of mine get hit....the red flash of the round the puff of smoke from when it penatrated, the Brad rolling slowly to a stop as we went by...a few minutes later we was engaged by a 23mm cannon, it didn't penetrate the armor but I will never forget the sound of them rounds hitting the armor...sounded like a sledgehammer wielded by a giant pounding on a steel plate.  It been 20 years almost and I still wake up with cold sweats at night.



That had to have been scary.......... Glad you're  still with us!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

Sterling said:


> I was surfing as a teenager and the waves were really big on that day.  I caught a wave that was really powerful and rode it until it closed out.  Unfortunately the wave caught me and my board and pinned me to the ocean floor.  I am not sure how long I was down there, but when the wave let go and began to toss me around like I was in a washing machine.  I couldn't tell which way was up and my lungs began to burn.  I believe the Lord reminded me of the surfboard leash on my ankle  which I quickly reached for in order to get to my surf board which floated me to the surface.  Once I came to the surface I took the biggest breath of air I've ever took.  I'm alive because of the Lord's undeserved merciful protection on my life that day and everyday since.



Amen to that!!! I have the utmost respect for water and the power it possesses.


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

charliecfh said:


> I don't know how close we were to dying, but we had a pretty good scare at the Lake Russell dam when I was a kid.  We had a 16' flat bottom boat, and were tied up to the cable on the Clark Hill side.  While we were there, they flipped on that pump that sucks water back into Russell from Clark Hill.  It began to get pretty turbulent, so we decided to leave.
> 
> We untied and were immediately swept over the cable.  Luckily, the cable had popped up in between the engine and transom.  After what seemed like an eternity of having the engine in full reverse and pushing down on the cable, we broke free.  A game warden, who witnessed the whole thing, chased us down afterwards and told us we were lucky.
> 
> I haven't been back to that dam in a boat since!



I have seen guys fish up next to a dam like that and those waters are ROUGH!!! They were there "snatching" catfish. 
There were a few moments I thought one of THEM would be snatched overboard!!!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

MissionMagnet said:


> 13 March 2005, The day my operational detachment and one other (16 men) engaged 2 T 55 tanks in turret defilade, about 150 plus or minus infantry with 2 50 cals, and 2 Mk 19 grenade launchers and 6 Javelin missiles. That was after surviving a Route Irish IED coming into Baghdad that cut the Humvee in front of us in half and littered ours with shrapnel. some I am still carrying with me today. About the entire tour was full of them at that time, now its a little less frequent.



So glad we have guys like you out there protecting us. Thank you for your brave service!!!!!!!!!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

modern_yeoman said:


> October 30 1999, I was behind the Milledgeville Mall with a few friends and an undercover police office. I was leaned in the officer's car window talking when 6 shots were fired into the crowd. I got hit in the back right side of my head. The bullet hit my jaw, rattled around, shattered part of my cheekbone and eye socket then exited thru the tearduct in my right eye. I almost bleed to  death in the parking lot...Long story short I was in ICU for a couple days. No surgery was required, my vision is perfect. I still have no feeling in that side of my head(for the most part) and have some bone fragments in my face. All in all wound up not being a huge deal. <----Sounds crazy huh?
> 
> Turns out a 14 and 15 year old where the one shooting... 4 years YDC and 1 year probabtion....both got out early...



Oh my goodness............that is truly a miracle!!!!! What kind of gun was it?


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## DYI hunting (May 13, 2010)

13 years old, I jumped off a bank and caught a tin roof overhand, close-lining myself across the top of my head just above my hairline.  My cousins found me in a pool of blood and unconscious.  3 days in a coma and the doctors debating if my concussion was bleeding enough in my skull to drill a hole in my skull to relieve the pressure.  I awoke in the hospital with 16 stitches, amnesia, and a nice scar. I still can't remember half of my childhood and the rest of my short-term and long-term memory is horrible.


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## Sunshine1 (May 13, 2010)

Fishndinty---------that is an amazing story. You guys are truly lucky/blessed to have made it though that!!


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## Rip Steele (May 13, 2010)

Which time


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## modern_yeoman (May 13, 2010)

Sunshine1 said:


> Oh my goodness............that is truly a miracle!!!!! What kind of gun was it?



3 guns were found after it was all over with.. 

1. A .22 revolver that did not revolve (prolly what I got hit with)

2.  .25 auto (had a hung-up hull in it)

3. Hi-Point 9mm...wound up finding out that gun was used in a murder 3-4 years earlier..


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## WoodUSMC (May 13, 2010)

December 29th 1985.Was returning to Camp Lejeune after Christmas leave. It was a little after midnight and I was driving a little faster than I should have been. On hwy 17 coming to the top of the hill before hwy 258. Did not know it at the time but another vechicle had rear ended a truck at the intersection and they were sitting there with no lights on. Both drivers were drunk. The first thing I noticed was someone light up a cigarette about 100 yds in front of me. By this time I could see the reflection of the last car. By that time it was too late. It was estimated that my car was moving between 60-65 Mph when I crashed. I stomped on the brakes but, by that time it was too late. I locked my legs and arms straight out and turned my head. From then on was like slow motion. I turned my face back to the front right before impact and watched the hood crumple and break the windshield. The 1lb of M&M's on the dash broke the back glass. It took the fire dept over 45 minutes to cut me out of the 68 Mustang I was driving. God was looking out for me that night. I was not wearing a seatbelt and ended up with 6 stitches in the top of my head and black and blue arms and legs for a month.


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## breampole (May 13, 2010)

In 1977 I was returning on US 1 from Waycross to Baxley.  The section of US 1 I was on parallels the railroad, and there are several intersections with traffic lights and at this particular one I was approaching there was a caution light.  I was in a 1965 pickup Chevy pick up.  The frame of the truck was made out of thick steel not like the stuff we have today.  My speed was around 45 and when a few yards from the intersection an approaching car began a slow left hand turn in front of me.  I had time to say man don't do that and then I hit him broad side.  My truck spun around and ended up across the intersection on the opposite corner.  I remember rising in the seat as if on an hydrolic lift and my head barely touching the roof.  When the truck came to a stop. I fell over in the seat anticipating extreme pain somewhere, but in a moment or two realized I wasn't hurt at all.  I sat up.  The windshield was shattered and I was covered in glass.  The steel steering wheel was bent on both sides about 6 inches forward where I had locked my arms and taken the impact.  Yet my arms and wrists were fine.  I looked out the windshield and the front end was destroyed.  The frame and motor was bent up at over a 45 degree angle.  I was 34 and just a few months before had declared Jesus to be my Lord and received his salvation and that wonderful inner knowledge that I was now not just God's creation, but his child.  As I got out of the truck and began to comprehend what had happened I realized the angels had been with me and kept me from harms way.  I went to the vehicle I had hit and I thought the man was dead.  His eyes were rolled back in his head and he was bleeding etc.  As it turns out he was merely in shock and didn't suffer but a few broken ribs some lacerations and a broken leg.  I called him in the hospital and he apologized for turning and I prayed for him to have a quick recovery.  Years later I was coming back from Augusta and my car hydroplaned coming up a hill on a curve.  I left the pavement doing about 60 mph.  I remember this time crying out "Jesus help me." And He did.  I had no control of the car as I left the pavement.  I went through a barbwire fence as I headed for an oak tree about 30 yards away from the pavement doing 60 mph.  The barbwire caught on the windshield and operated like a strap on an aircraft carrier.  When I arrived at the tree there was a slight bump that wasn't enought to do anything to the car.  The only damage was a fence post that was pulled up and slung into the right side door.  I backed up and drove home.  Blessed be my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus and the love he has for his children.


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## cathooker (May 13, 2010)

In 1971 I was a machine gunner / crewchief on a helicopter in Vietnam. I had some really close calls with death that year but through the grace of God I can sit here typing this.


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## SowGreen (May 14, 2010)

fishndinty said:


> My wife and I almost died while we were still dating.  We were out fishing at Clinton Lake in IL and the fishing was unusually good for a summer day.  White bass, crappies, and cats were all active and chasing food, and we were loading the boat.  There was nary a cloud in the sky, but the power plant (warmwater lake) there sounded a storm alarm.  We still saw nothing, but upped anchors and started boating back to the dock.
> 
> Soon, we saw the cause for the alarm.  Heading West under a causeway that had blocked our view of the horizon, we saw the storm, black as night against the blue sky and headed dead East toward us with a vengeance, and with strong rotation.  I immediately turned the boat around, intending to run East on the lake and take shelter in concrete bathrooms a couple of miles away, but the storm was gaining on us quickly, and we could see the funnel cloud forming.  I knew we would be cooked if we tried to outrun.
> 
> ...



Dude, you turned around and drove your boat through a tornado. " Looking up through it to see blue skies above", wow, that's absolutely amazing.


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## brother hilljack (May 14, 2010)

Road side bomb................I was right behind this window


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## Ruger#3 (May 14, 2010)

Hmmmm, the first time;

17 year old kid wearing a blue uniform working as military cop at a state side base, not much worry about getting hurt. Dispatch put out a call "shots fired" in the base housing area which was a subdivision embedded in the civilian community off base. 

A young mental patient was in a home firing at everything going by with a .22 semiauto rifle. Had a family pinned down in a camper in a parking lot across the street. When I arrived a detective and one of my buddies were already hit.

As I worked my way across the parking lot towards a gas station directly in front of the house he was in I was spotted. Suddenly I could see the rounds hitting the pavement in front of me walking closer towards me. I'm certain a deputy sheriff saved my life that day when he emptied his shotgun in the window the guy was firing from. He gave me enough time to make the gas station for cover.

The next 30 minutes was an intermittent gun battle as we closed the perimeter pushing the shooter into one room of the house. The incident ended with the mental patient tear gassed and apprehended alive. Both those hit survived though my friend was permanently disabled due to a shattered ankle bone.

A 20 plus year military career followed for me with more than one occasion to say the Lord spared me today. I am certainly blessed.


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## fishndinty (May 14, 2010)

SowGreen said:


> Dude, you turned around and drove your boat through a tornado. " Looking up through it to see blue skies above", wow, that's absolutely amazing.



Mom always said I lacked common sense


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## BubbaGanoosh (May 14, 2010)

My Ex Wife...............The End.


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## SowGreen (May 14, 2010)

fishndinty said:


> Mom always said I lacked common sense



Sounds like you made the right decision. I think they call it Instinct.


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## Ronnie T (May 14, 2010)

cathooker said:


> In 1971 I was a machine gunner / crewchief on a helicopter in Vietnam. I had some really close calls with death that year but through the grace of God I can sit here typing this.



It was my personal opinion that you crewchief/gunner's were crazy.............. But we loved you.


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## Chris S. (May 15, 2010)

BubbaGanoosh said:


> My Ex Wife...............The End.



I hear ya..........


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## Sunshine1 (May 15, 2010)

brother hilljack said:


> Road side bomb................I was right behind this window



I really wish we would just nuke these dirtbags......... Glad you are okay.


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## Sunshine1 (May 15, 2010)

WoodUSMC said:


> December 29th 1985.Was returning to Camp Lejeune after Christmas leave. It was a little after midnight and I was driving a little faster than I should have been. On hwy 17 coming to the top of the hill before hwy 258. Did not know it at the time but another vechicle had rear ended a truck at the intersection and they were sitting there with no lights on. Both drivers were drunk. The first thing I noticed was someone light up a cigarette about 100 yds in front of me. By this time I could see the reflection of the last car. By that time it was too late. It was estimated that my car was moving between 60-65 Mph when I crashed. I stomped on the brakes but, by that time it was too late. I locked my legs and arms straight out and turned my head. From then on was like slow motion. I turned my face back to the front right before impact and watched the hood crumple and break the windshield. The 1lb of M&M's on the dash broke the back glass. It took the fire dept over 45 minutes to cut me out of the 68 Mustang I was driving. God was looking out for me that night. I was not wearing a seatbelt and ended up with 6 stitches in the top of my head and black and blue arms and legs for a month.



M&M 's broke the back windshield?  Yes I'd say 6 stitches was a good thing!!!! Lucky you!!! What about the two idiots that were standing there?


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## Sunshine1 (May 15, 2010)

breampole said:


> In 1977 I was returning on US 1 from Waycross to Baxley.  The section of US 1 I was on parallels the railroad, and there are several intersections with traffic lights and at this particular one I was approaching there was a caution light.  I was in a 1965 pickup Chevy pick up.  The frame of the truck was made out of thick steel not like the stuff we have today.  My speed was around 45 and when a few yards from the intersection an approaching car began a slow left hand turn in front of me.  I had time to say man don't do that and then I hit him broad side.  My truck spun around and ended up across the intersection on the opposite corner.  I remember rising in the seat as if on an hydrolic lift and my head barely touching the roof.  When the truck came to a stop. I fell over in the seat anticipating extreme pain somewhere, but in a moment or two realized I wasn't hurt at all.  I sat up.  The windshield was shattered and I was covered in glass.  The steel steering wheel was bent on both sides about 6 inches forward where I had locked my arms and taken the impact.  Yet my arms and wrists were fine.  I looked out the windshield and the front end was destroyed.  The frame and motor was bent up at over a 45 degree angle.  I was 34 and just a few months before had declared Jesus to be my Lord and received his salvation and that wonderful inner knowledge that I was now not just God's creation, but his child.  As I got out of the truck and began to comprehend what had happened I realized the angels had been with me and kept me from harms way.  I went to the vehicle I had hit and I thought the man was dead.  His eyes were rolled back in his head and he was bleeding etc.  As it turns out he was merely in shock and didn't suffer but a few broken ribs some lacerations and a broken leg.  I called him in the hospital and he apologized for turning and I prayed for him to have a quick recovery.  Years later I was coming back from Augusta and my car hydroplaned coming up a hill on a curve.  I left the pavement doing about 60 mph.  I remember this time crying out "Jesus help me." And He did.  I had no control of the car as I left the pavement.  I went through a barbwire fence as I headed for an oak tree about 30 yards away from the pavement doing 60 mph.  The barbwire caught on the windshield and operated like a strap on an aircraft carrier.  When I arrived at the tree there was a slight bump that wasn't enought to do anything to the car.  The only damage was a fence post that was pulled up and slung into the right side door.  I backed up and drove home.  Blessed be my Heavenly Father and my Lord Jesus and the love he has for his children.



Jesus took the wheel didn't he? Praise the Lord!!! That's awesome...........He's got something planned for you I would say!!!


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## Sunshine1 (May 15, 2010)

cathooker said:


> In 1971 I was a machine gunner / crewchief on a helicopter in Vietnam. I had some really close calls with death that year but through the grace of God I can sit here typing this.



That's wonderful.........we're glad you're still here typing too!!!


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## MissionMagnet (May 15, 2010)

Cathooker, you're a brave and lucky man, helo's were a big target for the VC


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## MissionMagnet (May 15, 2010)

Brother Hilljack, that's about what my GMV looked like, you're a lucky man, and also loved that article about deep hole cats. Hooah


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## brother hilljack (May 15, 2010)

MissionMagnet said:


> Brother Hilljack, that's about what my GMV looked like, you're a lucky man, and also loved that article about deep hole cats. Hooah




Thanks brother. Been down Irish too many times myself.


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## LureheadEd (May 15, 2010)

*Fun on a '48 Ford 8n...*

Other than 2 heart attacks and pneumonia...Used to be that I would work the club food plots by myself, rarely would anybody give a flip about 'em till deer season arrived and then they'd complain if they weren't done right...So I'd drive the tractor down the highway about 3 miles and into our property right after daylight to keep cool...I did this for a couple of years and truly enjoyed the ride and the work, nothin' better than tearing up some dirt and improving the habitat...So this one early June morning I'm going between plots on a road I've been on a thousand times at least, and turn my head to get into my gear bag hanging on the back light bracket to grab a drink and BAMM hit a stump in the roadside I was cutting...Never had seen that one before...The front end raised up and the tractor threw me (the guys say I jumped !?! ) and the next thing I knew the back tire was on me, bush hog engaged and I was gonna lose my feet...Ran over both my ankles and feet and then the tractor turned just a bit to the right and the bush hog missed by inches...It's amazing how fast you can pray and get a response...The tractor went up the road aways and then turned some more into the embankment and came to a stop but still digging in...In shock I stumbled up to it and shut it off... I got back on it and sat there for about 20 mins. trying to get it back together, then realized I can't let this beat me, go finish the other plot....Just after I got the tractor going again, while I was still shaking and trying to calm down, one of the other guys pulled up behind me and not knowing what had happened honked his horn...I just about came off it again ! So I finished my work and by the time I got back to camp I was so swollen I couldn't get off of the tractor by myself...My buddies helped me into my truck and gathered some of my gear and I drove home...Went to the doctor the next day thinking I was all broke up, xrays showed just sprains and bruises ...I hobbled around on bruised feet and sprained ankles for the next year...I used to be amazed that someone could get killed in a tractor accident, there's no way, you've got time to get away...No you don't...
 Two years ago, a family friends brother was at his farm, nobody heard from him for 2 days...They went looking found his tractor nose first against a tree and only a few body parts, animals had carried off the other pieces...

Please be careful out there...


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## porkbelly (May 15, 2010)

When I was 19 I lived with my Grandmother. She was suppose to be out of town for the weekend. We all had a party at her house and she came home to find me passed out on the couch. To my bad luck there was a broom near me and she comminced to beating me with it. I lived thru it never to think something again. Always call Ala. to make sure she is there before you party. I did fall in an open well [ it was covered with a piece of tin] when I was 5 and luckily hung on the sides tell granny came and pulled me out.


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## Sunshine1 (May 15, 2010)

LureHeadEd that cold have been sooooooooooooooo much worse!!! 

and Porkbelly..........sounds like you gave your Granny a fit!!! Bless her heart........did you ever apologize? LOL


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## porkbelly (May 15, 2010)

Sunshine1 said:


> LureHeadEd that cold have been sooooooooooooooo much worse!!!
> 
> and Porkbelly..........sounds like you gave your Granny a fit!!! Bless her heart........did you ever apologize? LOL



Apologize? Like remind her and get another beating. Nah leave well enough alone. She raised me and was use to my mischief. I was lucky to live thru the things I got myself into. You know how rednecks can be. Bad to the bone. I'm a good kid now. Old but good.


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## 8ball (May 15, 2010)

Bought a brand new Harley had it 5 days , I hit a 400 pound black bear on the interstate running 70mph. I was thrown 240 feet down the concrete interstate and 50 feet straight up. The 18 wheeler behind me missed me by inches and I do mean inches. I made it with a few stitches and a lot of road rash. I was wearing a brain bucket , jeans , and a t-shirt. I was real lucky. Thank God.


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## one hogman (May 15, 2010)

*close calls to death*

Mine sounds pretty small compared to some in here but it scared the  heck out of me. I was driving to North Carolina , 1979, one Friday evening on the old Alto road  when  985 ended at Jesse Jewel, it was raining right at dusk, and a woman had knocked a power pole down and the lines were across the road, but not the pole, no Emergency  vehicles were there yet and I didn't see the lines till it was too late I slid into the power lines and saw many sparks and flashes of electricity arc, I held the brake but let go of the steering wheel at the last minute[ not sure if this made ant diff] I bumped the truck in reverse and backed out when I realized I was ok,when I finally got out there were holes burnt in the metal  of the truck and the Windshield was melted in places, I was pretty thankful to not be hurt.


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## Chris S. (May 15, 2010)

one hogman said:


> Mine sounds pretty small compared to some in here but it scared the  heck out of me. I was driving to North Carolina , 1979, one Friday evening on the old Alto road  when  985 ended at Jesse Jewel, it was raining right at dusk, and a woman had knocked a power pole down and the lines were across the road, but not the pole, no Emergency  vehicles were there yet and I didn't see the lines till it was too late I slid into the power lines and saw many sparks and flashes of electricity arc, I held the brake but let go of the steering wheel at the last minute[ not sure if this made ant diff] I bumped the truck in reverse and backed out when I realized I was ok,when I finally got out there were holes burnt in the metal  of the truck and the Windshield was melted in places, I was pretty thankful to not be hurt.


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## Benji314 (May 15, 2010)

I got shot at sitting in the middle of a parking lot talking to a buddy at work one night. I was ready to kill who ever was trying to kill me.


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## fishndinty (Jan 21, 2014)

Nicodemus said:


> Bring this thread back to the top in four years, and I`ll tell you.



Are we close enough yet, Nic?


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## M80 (Jan 21, 2014)

October of 2009 I went to the landfill to fix a hydraulic leak on a cat backhoe. I pulled the plastic shroud from around the rear joysticks and wedged off to the passenger side to get to the loose line. I tightened up the loose hose, climbed off and crawled under it with my right shoulder on the ground laying sideways with my left shoulder pointing up. The tractor was fully extended up with the outriggers when I had found the leak. I was careless and didn't realize that I had hooked both the controls for the outriggers in the down positions. It had slowly been leaking down. I hollered for the operator to fire it up so I could check and make sure the leak had stopped. I tell y'all it happened so fast. When them cylinders got pressure the tractor fell on me. I didn't have time to move and in started pressing me in the ground. About the time my head felt like it was going to pop the tractor settled on the tires. The operator shut it down and I managed to say "get it off".  It had caught me on my arm between my shoulder and my elbow and squeezed my chest pretty bad. As soon as the pressure was removed I squirmed out and just laid on my back with that burning sensation on the inside if my body. The first thing that came to my mind was my baby's. They say your life flashes before your eyes and my children are my life. I had a 6 month old baby girl and a 6 year old boy and I just wanted to see them one more time. As I laid there I thought I was going to die like Layne Frost. I thought a rib had punctured my heart. After a minutes or so I thought I might make it. After my first and hopefully last ride in an ambulance the x-rays showed no broke bones. I had real bad contusions on my ribs and it tore my shoulder some. 

We went back a month later and measured from the low part of the frame to the ground and it was 12". My coworker put the tape on my arm and it didn't even make if to the buttons on the center of my chest. I'm a big boy. I know The Lord himself took care of me that day. I'll tell y'all, it changes the way you look at life when something like that happens. Live each day like there is no tomorrow. It took me about 2 months to fully recover from that one


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## Matthew6 (Jan 22, 2014)

August 20, 1984. Whitewater rafting in northeast Turkey. Thrown out of raft, left foot wedged in rock. Current put me face down on river bottom. Can't get air for about 2 minutes, dying. After struggling I said to heck with it and told god to have his way. Peace filled my mind. Immediately went flying down the river bouncing off rocks. Hit a slow, calm spot in the river. Barely able to pull myself out. Left ankle was severely torn up. On crutches 6 months. Class 3-4 stuff. Never again.


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## Scout'nStripers (Jan 22, 2014)

Being in the Navy for over 20 years and working the flight deck of a carrier for a good part of my career provided some "near death" experiences for me. For some, death wasn't near, but it was the outcome. In a fighter jet community, we faced danger on and off work. Unfortunately alcohol caused just as many deaths as the work.

When I think back to all the "near death" experiences I faced, I realized that there has to be a higher calling for me b/c I should have bit it a long time ago. The way I figure it, God has a plan for me and my work isn't done here. Maybe it's teaching a man to fish? Lord knows I've done my share of that.

The one incident that stands out in my mind this morning was way back on a dark night in 1990 in Miramar, Ca. I was an electrician on F-14 Tomcats and one of my jobs was to run tests on the engines of the jet. It was the middle of the night and I was getting ready to start the engines to run some tests on one of our junkiest jets, aircraft number 213. I had a ground crew of about a dozen men that were waiting to do checks 10 feet below once I got the engines up to speed. Once I was in the cockpit, I closed the canopy of the jet and started in on my checks before starting the engines. We had problem after problem with the checks and I should of abandoned the event but I decided to press on. I needed to open the canopy back up to talk to a ground crew guy and realized the canopy wouldn't open. No biggie, we just needed to service the canopy with some nitrogen so it would open back up. I decided to keep going, full knowing there was no way for me to get out of the cockpit in an emergency but I kept right on going.

Once all of my checks were done I started to crank up the left engine. It wouldn't light off. It would be like flooding your car. We had plenty of gas but the 25,000 volt spark plug wouldn't light the JP5 jet fuel in the combustion chamber of the motor. This is what is referred to as a "wet start". I'd experienced them before so it wasn't that big of a deal. After about 3 attempts to start the engines, fuel was running out the tailpipe of the engine and creating a good sized pool of fuel under the jet. It was the middle of the night so no one really realized how much fuel was under the jet. I made one final attempt to start the engine, cussing as I went. The fuel finally ignited but there was so much fuel in the engine and on the ground, it created a big explosion with a giant fireball which lit up the whole flight line. I looked down at the ground and saw everyone running from the fire like roaches when the lights come on. I quickly realized I was on fire with no escape. I could feel the heat through the canopy and no one was around on the ground. I knew there wasn't much time before I was completely engulfed in flames and my chance of survival was dropping fast. What I didn't know was that my ground crew was running to get our big Halon fire extinguishers to put out the blaze. I looked at the ground through the flames and saw a big cloud of white smoke moving toward the jet. It was the halon being sprayed from 3 different directions to douse the flames. I don't think I've ever felt so relieved in my life as the flames subsided and the big base fire trucks showed up. They got the canopy serviced and I was able to climb out of the jet on wobbly legs to live another day.

I think I could fill a book with stories like this but some carry some heavy baggage. Thought I would share this one though. Great thread!!


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## littlejon (Jan 22, 2014)

Scout'nStripers said:


> Being in the Navy for over 20 years and working the flight deck of a carrier for a good part of my career provided some "near death" experiences for me. For some, death wasn't near, but it was the outcome. In a fighter jet community, we faced danger on and off work. Unfortunately alcohol caused just as many deaths as the work.
> 
> When I think back to all the "near death" experiences I faced, I realized that there has to be a higher calling for me b/c I should have bit it a long time ago. The way I figure it, God has a plan for me and my work isn't done here. Maybe it's teaching a man to fish?
> 
> ...



I can relate since I lived on the JFK for 3 years. You ever seen someone get sucked in or blown across a flight deck by a F 14? Not a pretty sight. Hats off to all our military who put or puts themselves in harms way. Its a daily occurrence.


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## FERAL ONE (Jan 22, 2014)

on a gator hunt during a tropical storm a drugged up guy fired a volley shots between me and the 2 guys i was hunting with. they were standing in front of my console and i was driving my carolina skiff. we could feel the concussion of the gun to our left and hear the bullets cracking the branches and thumping in the wet mud beside us. my son and 2 friends were in the boat behind us and i figured he was fixin' to watch his daddy die.  i had presence of mind enough to black out the lights and punch the motor and the boat behind me followed my white wake snaking out through that small creek. it wasn't much wider than the skiff and limbs were all over it but there was just enough light reflection in the clouds to give me a hint of where to run. it was by the grace of God we made it through that we all know for sure. the wardens caught him and there is a lot more to his story .....    for us, my son is 17 now and although he is an avid hunter and shoots a lot, every time we are on the water fishing and someone fires a gun at a snake or whatever he jerks like he has been smacked with a hammer. i hate that for him and it still makes me angry .....


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## Batjack (Jan 22, 2014)

Like our friends above that lived on carriers, I could write a book on this subject, but it would never get published. Not with out it being almost completely redacted. One that I can mention, because it was kinda on T.V., was in the early 90's. Down town Baghdad, lazing targets for the F-117's while the folks back here watched on CNN. Those "Smart" bombs weren't any where nearly as accurate as they looked on T.V.


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## BCAPES (Jan 22, 2014)

A buddy and I went catfishing at a small pay lake one night.  We had some good ones and decided to call it a night.  On the way home, the road we were on dead ended into another road that was perpendicular to the one we were on.  

It was pitch black and there was no stop sign or any other type of sign so we did not stop.  We went airborne into the woods and the truck landed and stopped between two huge pine trees.  

God wanted us here still.


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## one hogman (Jan 22, 2014)

Nicodemus said:


> Bring this thread back to the top in four years, and I`ll tell you.



We got to wait till May??


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## Ronnie T (Jan 23, 2014)

1968.  Joined the Army with my best friend in the whole world.  High school buddy.

By end of year he and I were in Vietnam.  One night together in the same platoon, he died and I didn't.

Miss you Michael Price.


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## one hogman (Jan 23, 2014)

Ronnie T said:


> 1968.  Joined the Army with my best friend in the whole world.  High school buddy.
> 
> By end of year he and I were in Vietnam.  One night together in the same platoon, he died and I didn't.
> 
> Miss you Michael Price.



Thanks for your service, glad one of you got back,


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## thetrillionaire (Jan 23, 2014)

During a unrep on board the USS Robert G Bradley inexperienced lines handlers let one of the lines fall into the water while it was still tied to the unrep station. Had I jumped a micro second later I would have been flung from the 02 level into the Atlantic Ocean between 2 ships on a rainy day.  That was the day I realized how dangerous my job could be.


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## Ronnie T (Jan 23, 2014)

thetrillionaire said:


> During a unrep on board the USS Robert G Bradley inexperienced lines handlers let one of the lines fall into the water while it was still tied to the unrep station. Had I jumped a micro second later I would have been flung from the 02 level into the Atlantic Ocean between 2 ships on a rainy day.  That was the day I realized how dangerous my job could be.



It would be interesting to know the death/near death ratio aboard Navy vessels.  I hear they are a dangerous place to be.


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## Dr. Strangelove (Jan 24, 2014)

Sept. 8 1989, my 16th birthday.  My parents had bought a 1977 BMW 320i for me from an uncle of mine about 6 months before.  This isn't mine, but it looked just like it, same wheels, same color:







I had driven it and the other family cars with my parents, but never alone.  My mom, to her credit, checked me out of school and I drove it with her from Cochran, Ga, to the Georgia State patrol office in Dublin, GA, because Cochran was such a small town that the GSP only came once a month to do license exams.  

I passed the driving test with flying colors and my mom had me drop her off at the house and said only "Be careful", as I drove off into the world.  I imagine that was one of the hardest things she ever did.

Being a standard issue 16 year old boy, I decided that the logical thing to do would be to find out if my finely crafted piece of German engineering would hit the 120mph indicated on the speedometer.

(Before anyone writes me off as some kind of silver spoon rich kid, this BMW was twelve years old at the time, and a total piece of you know what.  It was falling apart.)

I was zooming along through the back roads of Bleckley County, blasting AC/DC on the stereo and feeling like that dude in Titanic who was leaning off the front of the ship yelling "I'm the King of the World".

I knew the roads, and was on one particular road where I knew I had miles of straight road, so I opened her up, all the four speed manual transmission and the four cylinders of 2.0 liter mechanically fuel injected Nazi goodness could give the Pirelli p44's I had on her.

Well, it turns out that even a ragged out 320i can hit 120mph as indicated on the speedometer fairly easily.  

I crested over the top of a slight hill at top speed when, what to my wondering eyes should appear was not a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, but a tractor pulling a haymow taking up the both lanes of the road and moving along at a nearly stationary speed.  

The tractor rapidly filled my windshield at a speed that appeared to my young eyes like a P-51 diving at top speed  head-on into a formation of FW190's over Europe.  I knew that slamming on brakes or steering off the road would likely end in a fatality.

I began applying the brakes as much as I dared and, luckily, the tractor guy looked back and saw 2,435 pounds of German engineering rocketing towards him at a ridiculous speed.  He began evasive maneuvers right, heading towards the ditch.

I still to this day do not know how I didn't hit him, I was on/over the left white line and he was trying to get out of the way as best he could.  His tractor was a blur as I rocketed past.

I can't say I didn't drive that car that fast again, but I only did it when I had a clear sight-line.

I drove that car to college at UGA, my best time Cochran to Athens was about an hour and 45 minutes.


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## Batjack (Jan 24, 2014)

Yeah, my Dad gave me a fine piece of German engineering for my 16th b-day also....a 35 hp 1952 VW Beetle. I guess he remembered his first days of driving, or just knew me too well. The first thing that you figure out in one of those is that it is MUCH better to be behind a concrete truck rather than under one. To this day, and I don't care how much horse power the car I'm in has, if I can see a big truck coming I sit right there and wait. Red light, green light, stop sign, I don't care, those things get REAL big REAL fast in a little bitty rear view mirror.


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## Shrike (Jan 24, 2014)

On my way to work in August of 1976 on my motorcycle.  Lady ran a red light and had I been a tad quicker, might not have slammed into her left rear.  Must have over locked the rear brake, as I went sideways into the car and shattered my right femur.  Landed on my back, so minimal road rash, but the leg looked a tad crooked.  3 mos in traction on my back in the hospital, another 3 or so in a full leg brace cast, and then another few to get right.

Going through that light a second later, no hit, a second sooner and I get T-Boned.


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## ronniegarrison (Jan 24, 2014)

I was a senior at UGA in 1972 and read an article in Field and Stream about the trout fishing below Hartwell dam. Skipped class the next day and drove over to check it out.  I stopped at a small store near the river and asked about the trout fishing. The owner showed me  an ice chest full of rainbows his kids had caught before school that morning. He said the hatchery truck had just dumped a load at a steel bridge and told me how to get there after I bought a can of kernel corn he said they were hitting.

I got to the bridge and started walking the rocks heading upstream, catching a trout fairly often with a Mepps Spinner tipped with a kernel of corn.  They were the first trout I had ever caught. The rocks were slippery but I walked them, fishing the pools and cuts.

About noon I had a limit and went back downstream under the bridge to the truck, put the trout on ice and ate a sandwich. Then I started fishing downstream.  The trout were not biting as well but I had three on my stringer attached to a belt loop by the time I got to the middle of the river.

A car went over the bridge a few hundred yards upstream of me and blew its horn a lot. I turned and waved then started casting again, but something didn't seem right. I looked back and there was a fog above the  bridge moving downstream, and the rocks I had been on before lunch were  under water.

I took  off running across the slippery rocks to the bank. When I got to it the water was about ankle deep where I stopped. By the time I put my rod up on the bank and started untying the stringer from my belt the water was churning waist deep and I had to hold on to a bush to not get washed away..

The Corps had started generating at the Hartwell dam. If that car had not blown its horn or if I had slipped on the rocks running to the bank I would have been caught by the water out in the middle of the river. 

I went back to the store and told the owner what had happened. He said a fisherman had drowned a few days earlier when caught by the rising water.  I said I thought they had a siren or horn they blew before releasing the water but he said locals had complained about the noise and they stopped doing that.

That old bridge is now a fishing pier and the  rocks I almost got caught on are under Lake Russell now.


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## mpwarrak (Jan 24, 2014)

Dr. Strangelove said:


> I crested over the top of a slight hill at top speed when, what to my wondering eyes should appear was not a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, but a tractor pulling a haymow taking up the both lanes of the road and moving along at a nearly stationary speed.





Very funny and well written!!

I'll post this one again, getting back to fishing.... I think I've shared it before:

About 3 yrs ago, me and a buddy went down the foggy Etowah River just below the dam, in a dinky little 10' jon boat. After a while, we started hearing a constant dull roar but couldn't see anything because of the thick fog. It was the weirdest thing, when I would stand up, I couldn't hear anything, but when I put my head near the water I could plainly hear the steady roar. This went on for several minutes, we were about to dismiss the sound, thinking it was a nearby factory, when suddenly about 50 feet away the river disappeared!! I didn't know that there was another old dam further down, we almost fell to our death!


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## Luckybuck (Jan 24, 2014)

July 2011 Heart Attack 5 minutes into a work day at hunt club clearing down trees.  Buddies got me to Newnan hospital they confirmed heart attack and called for transport to Peachtree City hospital that had cardologist staff, on way blood pressure dropped to 30 over something.  Two stents immediately placed and basically out of danger.

October 2011, work day at hunt club, member tied weed eater on my 4 wheeler long ways which I did not give a thought to, long story short weed eater moved while crossing creek and I went from a idle to wide open, could not shut off, could not get off and ended up in a tree unconscious as they tell me for 15 minutes or so blood all over me as I was on blood thinners from heart attack.  Buddies got me out of woods where rescue unit was waiting only to order an air lift to Grady where I had bleeding on brain, internal bruises ect ect.  Both times I firmly believe God looked at me and said he had other plans for me, very fortunate both times to be alive.


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## Fuzzy D Fellers (Jan 24, 2014)

Nicodemus said:


> Bring this thread back to the top in four years, and I`ll tell you.



Been 4 years.


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## 8ball (Jan 24, 2014)

I bought a brand new Harley Davidson heritage softail. 4 days afterwards I hit a 400 pound black bear on 575 in Jasper. I was thrown 200 feet down the interstate and catapulted 60 feet straight up. I had an 18 wheeler behind me that almost ran over me. Need less to say I was banged up , stitches . No broken bones but cut up bad. It was a bad night for me and the bear.


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## mpwarrak (Jan 24, 2014)

8ball said:


> I bought a brand new Harley Davidson heritage softail. 4 days afterwards I hit a 400 pound black bear on 575 in Jasper. I was thrown 200 feet down the interstate and catapulted 60 feet straight up. I had an 18 wheeler behind me that almost ran over me. Need less to say I was banged up , stitches . No broken bones but cut up bad. It was a bad night for me and the bear.



You already posted that, post 53, in May of 2010!  Only your numbers are slightly different, one says 50 feet up the other says 60.  Also, 200 and 240 feet.  And you had the bike for 4 days, or 5?


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## Ronnie T (Jan 24, 2014)

mpwarrak said:


> You already posted that, post 53, in May of 2010!  Only your numbers are slightly different, one says 50 feet up the other says 60.  Also, 200 and 240 feet.  And you had the bike for 4 days, or 5?



Hey, that's pretty close for telling the same story several months apart.  Better than I would do.


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## Flaustin1 (Jan 25, 2014)

Where ya at Nic?


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## Washtub (Jan 25, 2014)

Flaustin1 said:


> Where ya at Nic?



I think it may have actually killed him.


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## mpwarrak (Jan 25, 2014)

Washtub said:


> I think it may have actually killed him.


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## dotties cutter (Jan 26, 2014)

In 1945 I was 4 years old and we lived in Alma Georgia. My Mom and Dad ran a fish and poultry market and one day a week my dad ran a route out into the area peddling fish from our car. I can remember getting stuck in a wash across a dirt  road and then waking up riding in a huge log truck with my head out the window and that is about all. When we got stuck I was in the back seat and was overcome by carbon monoxide fumes and the doctors told my Mom and Dad I was only a few breaths from dying. The logger probably saved my life by happening by when he did and my folks never got his name.


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## joehughes1965 (Feb 1, 2014)

Survived sepsis infection twice in my life.  

In 1969, when I was 4 years old.  I do not remember this but my Mom has talked about it a couple times.  

Again in 2008.  I had 2 kidney stones busted up.  One in the tube between kidney and bladder and the other one was in the kidney.  A week later I went back to have the stint removed.  The next day I returned to work.  Before the work day was over I began to run a fever. When I got home my wife stuck a thermometer in my mouth and was high 104.  She called my Dr and the ER. By 5 am the next morning I was in ICU.  That is where I stayed for the next 5 days.  I was pumped full of morphine and every antibiotic they had.  I remember being delirious, talking to myself and having bad dreams. I even remember the Dr standing on one side of my bed and my wife and youngest daughter(17 at the time)on the other side and him telling them that if they believe in prayer that they need to get busy.  One night while in ICU I pulled all the wires from my body and the IV from my arm and got out of my bed. I did not know what I was doing until I heard a nurse screaming.  I looked around and had blood running down my arm, dripping off my finger tips and was all over the floor.  

It turns out that where they did the shockwave on the stone in my kidney had bruised really bad about the size of a silver dollar.  The bruised area had gotten infected and when it busted the infection spread through my body extremely fast.  

I will never again let a stone be busted up while still in my kidney.  It was supposed to be a preemptive strike to get it before it left my kidney.


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## Buzzerbaits (Feb 1, 2014)

*Near death*

I was fishing in a Tournament at Jackson. When we all took off it was really foggy. About 1 mile from the dock my engine cut off. A boat went about 15 feet to the right of us at probably full speed and never noticed us sitting there!   Wont ever run down the middle of the lake in the fog. Very stupid of me.......


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## EZ Spin (Feb 1, 2014)

Too many to list but none of it holds a candle or is as worthy as what our service men and women have done for us. God is great and not through with me yet!


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## aaronblaine1 (Feb 2, 2014)

We were at rock city taking a tour of one of the cavern. i must have been 5 or 6 at the time. The guide threw a rock and we never heard it land. About the next  or 3 steps i slip and over i go.I am screaming and yelling and my dad reaches over and pulls me back up. Must be where i get my fear of heights. Always afraid i will fall.Just what the lord does everyday for me !! Catches me when i fall and lifts me backup !


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## shadow2 (Feb 2, 2014)

I would rather not try to recall from memory all the ones that I have had.  I like them stored away behind all the good memories of spending time with my family and time on the lake.


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## Ohoopee Tusker (Feb 6, 2014)

In 1996, I went in to have a mole removed. I was allergic to the shot and went into anaphylactic shock. In all honesty I believe I actually died for a few seconds and was brought back that day. I was placed on a table with my arms above my head. In terrible pain and feeling like a train was on my chest. Then a horrible pain began in my finger tips and went down my body and out of my toes. After that I was completely calm and actually felt great. So great I remember the nurse asking me if I could hear her and I was thinking that I felt so good I didn't want to answer her. They were breaking smelling salts and putting them under my nose. I could see all of this but could not move. I also couldn't smell the salts as I recall thinking that they really didn't even smell. Just as another Dr. came in with a shot of adrenaline that horrible feeling started again. Only this time it started in my toes and although it hurt, in some strange way it felt good this time. As it made its way back up my body and out of my fingers I suddenly smelt the salts and came out of it so to speak. 

In 1998, while farming I was standing on top of a machine, holding a metal handle in my left hand. I was struck by lightning. It felt as if I had been hit by a car or something very large. The metal handle I was holding melted and bent in half. Being dazed, but not out of it I was back on my feet in a few minutes. For about 2 weeks my left arm hurt and to this day the lymph node under that arm is still swollen.

In 2007, a driver ran a stop sign and T-boned me at 60 mph. My car flipped 3 times down a ditch. The V in the ditch was just deep enough and at the perfect angle to keep the cab from crushing all the way in and breaking my neck. Another inch probably would have been too much. About the only thing left of the car was the drivers seat.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Feb 6, 2014)

mpwarrak said:


> You already posted that, post 53, in May of 2010!  Only your numbers are slightly different, one says 50 feet up the other says 60.  Also, 200 and 240 feet.  And you had the bike for 4 days, or 5?




  I doubted his story the first time!  Catapulted 60 feet up and no broken bones.


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## M80 (Feb 6, 2014)

joehughes1965 said:


> Survived sepsis infection twice in my life.
> 
> In 1969, when I was 4 years old.  I do not remember this but my Mom has talked about it a couple times.
> 
> ...



I spent 7 days also with my wife in the hospital, 5 of them in ICU because she was Ceptic from a blasted kidney stone. I slept in the floor all 5 nights until they moved us to a room where I had a chair. It got pretty sketchy there a couple days. Her hearted started going out of rythem a couple times. I thank God he pulled her through it. My little girl was a month old at the time and my son 6


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