Has anyone ever been rescued?

[JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff]

I know this is super weird and probably, one of those things that is not at all nice IRL.

But. I have never been in a position where I have had to be rescued. Partially because I am boring, sensible, and generally the one in charge - but also, sheer dumb luck.

I am really curious to know what it feels like though. Emergency services, mountain rescue, random man in the street....

Have you ever been rescued and what was it like?

Stuck in a flood at a wedding reception, the water was as high as car rooves and we were rescued by a huge tractor in the trailer attached.

A creepy man kept following me, then got a bit handsy with me in the street when I was walking home after a night out and started getting angry and nasty when I rebuffed him. A couple of very obviously gay men started shouting out to me from the balcony of the flat above (they called out a random name and I ran with it because I sussed what they were doing!) and took me up to their flat to join their house party! Had an absolutely excellent time for a couple of hours and they walked me safely home.

Was I really stupid to go up there? Probably, but I was only about 19 and it seemed a safer option than the situation I was in!

DH rescued me once ❤️ I was pregnant and had a physically demanding day. Not pregnant enough that I listened to people when they were telling me to take it easy. I broke down on the way home, just a flat tyre but when I pulled over, I called DH and just cried uncontrollably on the phone. I was about 20 mins from home, he drove over to me, send me home in his car, changed the tyre and then drove home.

Sort of.
On a holiday in Dorset, my mum, DD6 and I drove out into the country for a walk. Got completely lost and didn’t know where we were - this was before we had mobile phones. We went to the local shop but it was closed, and then stumbled across a phone box in a village (to call DH back at the holiday house) but it was broken.

In the end we knocked on someone’s door to see if we could use their phone. An older couple lived there and the lovely man ended up driving us back to where the car was parked.

My DD had to sit on my lap and was a bit smelly because she’d previously needed a wee and, as she didn’t want to go in the bushes, ended up wetting herself. We were all hoping he wouldn’t be able to smell it!!

Swimming in rough seas in Crete age 15. Got pulled under by a freak wave and someone pulled me out by my hair. The man swimming a few feet away from me drowned.

I had no idea which was was up and thought I was going to die. They couldn’t get to the other man in time.

Ive been pulled from the sea by the RNLI 3 times (all 3 due to DF sinking sailboats), pulled unconscious from a swimming pool by a passing stranger (DF was supposed to be watching me) and rescued by beach lifeguards when I floated out to sea on a lilo aged 6. DF wasn't there for that one.

Im a very boring adult who avoid water based risks now.

Ran out of petrol whilst travelling on a moped round Martha’s Vineyard. Boiling hot day and quite a way from the petrol station. A couple stopped by, threw the mopeds in the back of their truck and gave us a lift to the petrol station. The man had just proposed to his girlfriend and we were the first ones they told!

Last year, in an electric boat on lake Windermere with my dd.
We were specifically told not to go too near the little islands. I saw a seagull on one of the little islands with a ball in its mouth, went closer to have a look, the boat got stuck on the little islands underwater rocks.
I suggested we rock the boat to dislodge it, me and dd sat opposite each other, holding each others hands and rocking back and forth.
My dd started singing “rock, rock, rock the boat”, we both fell about howling with laughter 😆
We were there for AGES, I started panicking that we would drown, my dd pointed out if the boat sank we could get onto the little island 🤣
Eventually a life boat came to rescue us, two strapping lads.
They couldn’t dislodge the boat, it was absolutely stuck, so they took us back to shore on the lifeboat.
We landed, and saw we had a huge audience of all the people sat outside the coffee shops, my dd was mortified!
The boat owner/manager was absolutely lovely, wouldn’t even keep the deposit.
It was a very memorable trip!

Have a listen to Real Survival Stories podcast on BBC Sounds. You'll be speakless!

As a child by inshore lifeboat when my family's small sailing boat was stranded in a gale on a sandbank. Remember it very clearly. Think I was about eight and my sister and I hadn't yet learned to swim.

I had to be taken out of my car by paramedics on a backboard after a twat of a van driver on his phone ploughed into the back of me while I was stationary at a junction. Popped in the ambulance still on the backboard with one of those orange sponge block frames taped over my head and a neck brace on. Blue lighted to the nearest city hospital. It took 2 years, all the exercises and regular sessions with a physio before my back was okay again.

Oh my goodness! Who/ what service rescued you?

Oh wow how fucking awful. This is my worst nightmare so many people looking at their phones driving. Was he prosecuted or did he not stop at the scene?

Sorry, your dad sank THREE boats?

Stuck in a broken lift. Firemen had to help us all
out as the floor of the lift was only half way down when the doors opened.

Snap re the lift!

The first one though😧

Not as dramatic as they sound but i went under during a swimming race when I was in the juniors and the lifeguard had to pull me out, i drifted out (with friends) on a pedalo, we just stopped pedalling to sunbathe and when we looked we were really far from shore and couldn't pedal back against the waves. The vendors came to get us. I got my arm trapped in a machine at work luckily another staff member pressed the emergency stop before my arm broke. I did need an ambulance once when i collapsed unconscious at a bus stop!

DD locked herself in a ladies toilet as a child. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but she's autistic and was in a panic. A lovely gentleman heard the commotion and very kindly asked if he could help.

He was so respectful, checking with me and her to make sure we felt comfortable. In the end he had to climb into the cubicle with her.

He was the loveliest man, so calm and reassuring. He took the time to explain what he was going to do next and checked in to ask permission at every step.

A true knight in shining armour.

Windsuring in big waves (4.5m) and high winds and got seperated from my kit, then got rinsed a few times, I had reached the point of having nothing left to give and a kite surfer spotted me and dragged me in - oh the humiliation. I have drag a kite surfer off some rocks and in to safety once though, so all equal.

He was prosecuted, thank goodness. He still had the phone in his hand when he ran round to see what damage he’d caused and I was able to tell the police. He couldn’t have driven off, his van’s engine block was in my car’s boot.

I overheard a DV arguement on the road outside my remote cottage, they had biked up the mountain on a really hot day and she was exhausted and he would not let it go that they hadn't made it to the top - FFS. When it reached the point of him shoving her into a stone wall i stepped in. Forcefully told him to go home, took her inside and fed her tea and chocolate, then drove her and her bike 20 miles home and had a long chat about abuse and getting out of the relationship.

I have a young DD and all I can hope is that there is someone looking out for her who has her back when she needs it. Glad you had your gay men watching over you.

A couple of times but there was one standout. I was in my early twenties, working in hospitality and there was a fire at my place of work, in the middle of the night, during a really busy period. I managed the evacuation just fine, all guests and staff were safe but I had a major wobble when the fire brigade arrived. I fell apart when it finally didn’t feel like only my responsibility. The fire was under control very quickly, no one was hurt and no major damage. The trouble was that the guests were still approaching me with all their questions, completely understandable. My prince fireman intervened, told the guests I needed oxygen, helped me up to the seat in the fire engine and handed me a an oxygen mask, all with a smile and trying to comfort me. I can’t even remember what he really looked like, everything is a blur but he basically kept me there until the general manager arrived and I felt so rescued and looked after.

Yes, by a coastguard helicopter- made the national news and the Telegraph, however we didn’t actually NEED rescuing, we were doing a hobby and knew EXACTLY what we were doing, unfortunately people on land didn’t realise that.

it was very exciting though…

I've been rescued twice. The first time was a few years ago. I was kicked by a horse (broken ribs and shattered arm). I ended up in a ditch and was found unconscious by a local farmer. I was air lifted to hospital.

The second time was yesterday. Got stuck in my lift with my dog (who kept farting). Had to ring the fire brigade to rescue me. On the plus side, one of the fire fighters was absolutely drop dead gorgeous 😍