What's the most dangerous thing you have survived?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Curious about all kinds of narrow squeaks, really. I find it fascinating because they can be dramatic or terrifying like a car accident or being held up at knifepoint, or something that happens in the blink of an eye and death/ serious damage is averted thanks to sheer good luck! I seem to have had a fair few of the latter experiences (falls off horses, best friend pulling me out of the way of a bus by a hair's breadth, etc) but no big event.

I love how tough human beings are and what we can survive. What's the maddest and baddest thing you have survived?

Choking on a cherry stone as a young child, I went blue and mum was on the phone to 999 whilst heimliching me. She had a bowl of unpitted cherry's on one side and washing and pitting them and putting them in another bowl and I pinched one from the wrong bowl.

Trapped underwater and nearly drowned, twice.

First time over two minutes, I completely panicked, which in itself is pretty unpleasant. As I started to run low on breath I was like fuck this will be the first funeral my brother's have been to and other odd stuff. I eventually passed out but came to the surface just in time for a reflex breath.

Second time was 1m 42s it's on video, it was thoroughly unpleasant, but I didn't panic. Hung long enough to get to the surface.

I've read you only feel absolute fear once and once you have accepted death you are can be incredibly calm in very dangerous situations which in itself can be a life saver. That could be utter BS though.

My exhusband smashed me in the face when we were in the car, broke my nose, when we slowed down he told me if I tried to jump out, he was going to drive straight into a wall with ds (18mths) in the car. I obviously had no intention of jumping out and leaving the baby behind.

I did all the things he told me to do and allowed all the things to be done to me some of which have left me absolutely scarred for life. Then when he went to work the next day, I packed a suitcase and took ds and left.

@boatyardblues @OhBigHairyBollocks maybe the calmness is due to reduced oxygenated blood reaching the brain. I reckon that means you and I were really pretty close to the limit.

Surviving three life-threatening illnesses at the same time. I spent 5 weeks in a medically induced coma in ICU and was resuscitated as well as had a trachaeostomy. Any one of the conditions could easily have killed me and to this day, doctors are baffled how I survived having all three at the same time. I very nearly didn't, and was in hospital for 4 months learning how to walk and talk again. I still have residual problems 4.5 years later but it's something of a miracle I'm even typing this now!

Bad car crash - rolled the car down a very steep bank. The passengers side of the car hit a tree as it went down the bank and the impact when the car came to a standstill pushed back into the engine and gear box towards me. Hairline fracture of my jaw and lost 3 teeth. When I saw the state of the car afterwards I thought I shouldn’t be here. If i had given my brother a lift that night he would have been killed as the tree smashed in that side of the car.

I was exam marking in Manchester in 1996 and heard the explosions. We weren’t allowed to leave the building but we’re advised to use the phone in the room to let our families know that we’re ‘delayed’ but fine.

Epileptic seizure after giving birth to my first child I couldn't tell you what happened but I remember waking up lots of doctors nurses and my loved ones in the room I'd been resuscitated everybody look shocked to see me awake.
Pre-eclampsia with ds and then hemorrhage after birth lots of blood transfusions and a stay in hospital.
Car accident on a A road I was up in the air after the car had already flipped I was pregnant and all I could think about was my baby in the back who was 4 months old! Literally walked away!! I even picked my children up the same day from school like nothing had happened 🙃

2 things. An incarcerated umbilical hernia,which was operated on in the nick of time. Also a pulmonary embolism,that I was informed if I hadn't received treatment for it when I did, could have killed me.

A tsunami, an earthquake and a landslide. Don’t go travelling with me.

Fell asleep at the wheel. The window was open a bit. Large lorry went past and the rush of air and noise woke me up. Must have been seconds of sleep as I was still in my lane.

I’d say childbirth too. Twice both the baby and I would have died if it weren’t for medical intervention.

Wow, this is not the thread to read 3 weeks before you have a c section!

Camping with family in the Forest of Dean, age about 13. We went up to a beauty spot, a very steep ravine looking down onto the River Wye. The top bit didn't look too steep so I thought I would investigate. I lost my footing and ended up sliding down on my bum. I couldn't seem.to stop and I was very very scared. I understood the meaning of your life flashing before your eyes. After what seemed like hours, I came to an abrupt stop, by some trees growing out of the ravine. I managed to scramble back up to the top, where my Dad, sitting on a bench, wondered where I had been!!
I probably didn't slide very far down but it bloody felt like it at the time!!

Driving on a cliff side road overseas. Narrow road. I’m on the inside. Outside lane miles of back to back traffic. Suddenly out of nowhere police chase coming toward me - car speeding followed by police car. Cars and cliff on one side And mountain on the other. Suddenly as I’m driving the mountain caves in a little just enough for me to pull my car aside as the speeding car wooshes past and misses me by a hairs breath. Literally like an action sequence in James Bond. None of us talked till we got home.