How close have you been to experiencing...

[Paddles_up]

This is for ANYONE and not necessarily aviation related.
How close have you been to experiencing "tragedy"?
Have you had or witnesed a "close encounter" with death? :confus_2:

[AerialWaitress]

I personally have not had a close encounter with death.

I have however seen a lady get hit by a car (she died) and also had a pax have a heart attack and die on one of my flights several years ago.

Is that what you mean?
AW

[Paddles_up]

Is that what you mean



Yes, any personal experiences or eye witness.

[BobbieSullivan]

Several times (unfortunately).

Most prominent in my mind: personal experience in a 6.6 earthquake, inside a tall apt. building and watching the ceiling and floor crack (among other things) while being unable to stand up or walk (or run!) because of the undulating floor. At the same time, building across the street collapsed, and the sound was unbelievable. Personally very terrifying.

Also witnessed a landslide/rockfall in which a number of people were buried alive and killed. I was unharmed and not in fact not in danger where I was (a few hundred feet away), but I saw car-sized boulders and tons of dirt fall on a number of folks who were just sitting on a beach below a cliff, caught completely unawares. :frown_2: Very shocking.

(Why do you ask?)

[Paddles_up]

Mostly just curiosity. I'm not trying to be morbid...just thought it would be a good thread to add to this forum.

You know what they say, "knowledge is power". I'm taking the inspiration for this thread from some of the books I've read..."The Black Box". Through studying accidents and incidents we have learned and been able to correct or rectify situations.

I thought maybe we could apply some of life's experiences in the same manner....reading them and taking the situation to heart.

I think the most devastating experience I had was when I was in college. Two young men ran a red light and hit the light pole in a busy interesection. I (and some of my sorrority sisters) were the first on the scene when we heard the awful sound of twisted metal.
I was current in CPR and first aid at the time and thought I could help if there were injuries. When we got to the car the occupants were so crushed, we could not help them. Both had broken necks and were bleeding out of their eyes, ears and mouth. It made me feel helpless. We talked to the men to assure them that help was on the way. They could hear us and would try to talk to us but couldn't. We continued to encourage them to "hang on" until helped arrived.
It seemed like forever before the emergency vehicles arrived. They had to use "the jaws of life" and it took a great deal of time.
We were all so shocked by seeing all this we never said much about it to one another. We read the following day in the paper that neither man survived and both had been intoxicated. :frown_2: :confus_2:

[Sugarpuffs]

For me personally, too many. :frown_2:

1/ Saw a child not much younger than me, at the time, die after he fell through a glass roof section. A horrible site.

2/ Too many road accidents where there were fatalities in many countries.

3/ Shot at by a soldier, cos I refused to dance with him the night before - he was very drunk.

4/ Blown up by terrorists.

5/ Very near mid-air collision, whilst in the cockpit, with only feet separating us and the other plane at 35000ft.

6/ Two incidents on one flt.
First: Plane just out of maintanence after HMC so acft condition was A1. Weather was so bad across from YVR-LGW that we nearly lost a wing.
Second: A gust of wind hit the plane and turned it on its' side as we came over the perimeter fence on landing and the wing tip cut the grass at the start on the runway. This swung the plane towards the main apt bldgs. pilot just managed to recover it in time.
Grass was still hanging on the winglet as we pulled up to the gate.
Tha plane was taken immediately out of service and the wing we nearly lost was x-rayed immediately and 12 fractures were found. Six of which were critical. :shocked:
Amazing what damage wind can cause.

These are probably the worst ones that have happened, there have been many more but, you no doubt get the gist, but it is incredible and amazing what comes into your mind when you are staring death in the eye.

Guess I just have the knack of managing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. :crazy:

[yhz726675]

This just happened to me on Saturday night! We were having a dance at our curling bonspiel and a man collapsed just off the dance floor. Right away, about 5 of us started CPR and first aid. No pulse, nothing! We got him back once for only a few moments, then lost him again. I was the last person doing mouth to mouth when the paramedics arrived. We were sure (the 5 of us that worked on the gentleman) that he was gone long b4 the ambulance arrived. Though we could not pronouce him, he passed away officially 2 hours later.

When it hit me was about an hour after the ambulance left! To be there, with 100+ people watching your every move, and then to find out that he did not make it... It hits everyone differently I guess!

[imdavidflyme]

OK, so I might not be a FA, but I am a first-aider.

I was on the bus on the way back from college and all of a sudden we stopped. This approx. 50yr old guy had been knocked off his bike by this geriatric driver.
LOL I felt like such an idiot getting off the bus to help this guy. *Ewww* his face was so gross; his cheek had skidded along the road so he had a 'deep-graze-all-down-his-face injury' and a lovely greenstick fracture.
Urgh I hope I never have to see a face like that again. But, the most ridiculous thing was...The friggin' ambulance took 45 minutes to arrive, and the station was only down the road. Grrrr how rude!

On a slightly sadder note, I was in the same room when my granddad died. That's what made me start at St. John Ambulance.

Ciao for now,
David

[flymeaway]

I have spent a lot of time working in emergency medicine, and have seen a lot of it. Most of the time, trying to 'save' them is almost futile - and it's sad to be there and be part of it. But even though most of them die, it's still nice to know that you were there and helped and did what you could for that person and their family...even if it rarely "works".

Some that stick out in my mind....a 5 month old baby who apparently died of SIDS. His mom came in and prayed over him while I was doing chest compressions. I kept mentally willing her prayers into his heart. There was a man, 40-ish, who had gone fishing with his brother and brother-in-law. They got too close to the turbines at the dam. The boat was thrown in the turbulence of the water. One brother was tossed clear and swam to safety without a scratch. One died instantly in the turbines. The one I worked on had been knocked about really badly underwater, and later died. Too much internal injury.

One guy had been kayaking on the Ocoee River here in TN and got hung up under a rock. His buddy, as a last resort, tried to cut the kayak skirt off him to get him out. He ended up cutting his femoral artery. I was an EMT student at the time, and stood on his groin while another medic was pushing me down to stop the bleeding while they worked. Didn't work..

Blah, blah, blah. I've seen a lot of 'vivid and dramatic' situations like that, but some of the more touching and tragic are far less dramatic, really. It's a reminder that we all have an entrance and an exit in this world - and so we should make the most of the middle.

And be nice to each other while we're here. :wink_2:

[BobbieSullivan]

[quote I've seen a lot of 'vivid and dramatic' situations like that, but some of the more touching and tragic are far less dramatic, really. It's a reminder that we all have an entrance and an exit in this world - and so we should make the most of the middle.

And be nice to each other while we're here. :wink_2:

[/QUOTE]

Very well said, flymeaway. Remember, everybody, this is your life, not a dress-rehearsal. :crazy:

[Studley]

Guess I just have the knack of managing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. :crazy:



NOW she tells me....after I go touring London with her! :shocked:

Just kidding, Sugarpuffs. :wink_2:

Wow - lots more stories for my next visit, eh?

[Studley]

so we should make the most of the middle.



Y'all have heard me say this before - you have to live your life. You should have no regrets when it's your time to leave this living universe.

And 'Spatcher - Knowledge IS Power!

[Sugarpuffs]

Dear Dr. Studley

Well I guess it goes something like...........

:grin:

Nah I don't dwell on them, took me ages to remember the highlights of those I mentioned. :smile_2:

And no I won't bore you with them next time you come over. :grin: :grin: :grin:

[Nighthawk79]

Several years I was on the EAA airshow in Oshkosh, while I was inside on of the aircrafts one private military jet (a "Galeb") crashed during approach and one pax died, the pilot survived serious injured.

I was around 2km away from the side, but I was able to see the smoke comimg up behind the trees :frown_2:

[WWF]

I was a flight attendant on a B737 which crashed landed killing 47 passengers and injuring 80. That was the closest I've come to death and not something I would want to repeat in a hurry!!!

[SFOFlyboy]

The closest I've been which is airline related was the Aeromexico flight which was struck by the Piper Cub in 1986.

I was in SoCal at a hotel and was on the balcony watching planes in the distance on LAX approach. I happened to look up and saw the DC-9 roll over and plummet straight down.

:frown_2:

[Sky Pup]

The first tragic death that I can still recall was on Christmas Day 1999. I was driving up the Grade in San Luis Obispo and a truck with a male pax had his arm out the window holding onto the window rim as they had passed me going a little fast but nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn't sure why I had taken notice of this vehicle except that maybe it was the same color as mine. Or maybe I was just checkin' men out on the highway.

While coming down the grade I came upon this same truck in the distance but I was in plain view of the events that transpired. The truck veered from one lane to the inside lane and proceeded to go Airborne. The back end of the truck then flipped sidways and the vehicle proceeded to tumble about 3 or 4 times. Everything in the back was flying - suitcases, clothes, presens and other things I rather not mention. From my vantage point it was clearly a single car rollover on a curve. In shock since the truck landed on its side directly infront of me in my lane. I came to a scretching hault. Quickly thinking that I need to get off this curve and highway before I become part of the accident myself. I eased around the vehicle onto the shoulder and drove out of the way ahead of the accident. I did not look but thru the side of my eye I saw the a form.

As I walked back to the accident with my flares inhand and cell phone calling the cops - there were already people amassed around the vehicle and luckily a doctor was in the car behind me tending to the patients. I was in shock because I remember everything in slow motion and I remember looking at the ground where I was walking and I had just stepped thru a river of blood before I relized what it was. Looking back at the form on the pavement - the mans body was not under the truck but unfortunately his head and arm were. Very grewsome. He was pronounce dead at the scene. The girl who was driving I herd made it out alive but unconscious.

The occupants of the vehicle were not waring seatbelts.

The story didn't end at the scene, I than had to tell it over and over to the police since it appeared I was the only witness who stayed at the scene of the accident. Funny how 3 other vehicles infront of me and in the opposite lane and closer to the wreck did not stick around. I can even remember the color of every car that would have been involved. Grey sudan- up front next to the truck, White midsize to the back side and a Red 4 door with children in the back. I remember there faces when they saw my truck screatching to halt and practically jack knifing up their trunk.

Amazingly eventhough It seemed like slow motion I kept my cool thru the whole event and it wasn't until after the police released me to go on my way did it hit me. Luckily I was only 5 minutes away from my familys Christmas dinner.
I spent the evening just talking about what happened and what I saw. However, every Christmas I go over that pass and relive the events ware that passanger lost his life. Stuff like that just doesn't go away it just gets numb over time. "shit happens"

"All passanger seatbelts must be fasten and all carry-ons stowed"

[SkyFemmeAA]

i was visiting friends in new mexico, we were walking thru some countryside when a small cessna lost power and nose dived straight into the ground...it was a very traumatic thing to witness...and something that you never forget..

[SUPERGUY]

This is literally a cliffhanger of a story. Back in '87, I had gone skiing with friends and family in Tahoe. On the day we left home, we decided to take an airport shuttle from Incline Village to Reno/Cannon Airport. It had just started snowing about 3 hours prior to our leaving, so the roads were not all that great.
If any of you have ever taken the road from Incline/Tahoe to Reno, it's a pretty good climb up the Sierra's before you start a pretty good decent. Well the decent was a doosey.
One of the first turns on the decent was a wild hairpin to the left. I was seated near the back of the shuttle bus and was looking forwards toward the drive when I saw his arms stiffen and I felt the brake engage as we started the turn. Needless to say, we did not turn at all, we just slid and kept on sliding forward for what seemed like forever until we hit and broke through the guardrail and stopped nearly halfway through the railing. It was over 3700ft down!
Nobody dared move until the drive told the front pax to move to the rear of the bus. Within minutes, Highway Patrol and other crews showed to secure the bus and get us off.
It was almost surreal and I swear I really did see my life past infront of me.

[BobbieSullivan]

Wow, what a story! Glad you made it.

I know that road -- I can just picture it! Right around the Mt. Rose ski area, isn't it? Yikes! What makes me feel weird is, like you, we have often reasoned that i'ts "safer" to take the shuttle bus from RNO to Tahoe or vice versa.

Maybe I'll think twice next time... :blush: