Are you, "Lucky to be alive"?
Discussion
gwm said:
**touch wood* never had anything that serious, but plenty of moments that could have been much worse.
1 - From the crash pics thread, crashing this rental car when it aqua-planed and we bounced down the barriers. We were actually lucky in that we hit a barrier, as about 2-3m further up the road we would have went off into a ditch and hit the side of the mountain.
Why is that fat fireman using a Golf club to jemmy open your bonnet?1 - From the crash pics thread, crashing this rental car when it aqua-planed and we bounced down the barriers. We were actually lucky in that we hit a barrier, as about 2-3m further up the road we would have went off into a ditch and hit the side of the mountain.
)e21Mark said:
Fractured skull
Bedridden 6 months
A year in hospital.
Forever grateful to Cornwall Air Ambulance, Treliske Hospital etc.
I'm also grateful to the Air Ambulance and Treliske. I fell 60ft in 1995 breaking various bones. A year and 13 operations later had my right leg amputated below the knee.Bedridden 6 months
A year in hospital.
Forever grateful to Cornwall Air Ambulance, Treliske Hospital etc.
Live is good now and everyday in a bonus
Blaster72 said:
gwm said:
**touch wood* never had anything that serious, but plenty of moments that could have been much worse.
1 - From the crash pics thread, crashing this rental car when it aqua-planed and we bounced down the barriers. We were actually lucky in that we hit a barrier, as about 2-3m further up the road we would have went off into a ditch and hit the side of the mountain.
Why is that fat fireman using a Golf club to jemmy open your bonnet?1 - From the crash pics thread, crashing this rental car when it aqua-planed and we bounced down the barriers. We were actually lucky in that we hit a barrier, as about 2-3m further up the road we would have went off into a ditch and hit the side of the mountain.
Talked to the trucker and he said that he has seen us and pulled out to make sure no one over took him.... good guy. I wasn't driving at the time and Id made a quick visit out and had no travel insurance - stupid indeed. Now Ill take no chances and Ill try and drive where ever I can as hate that feeling of not being in control when your doing 360's on black ice......
ruggedscotty said:
Oh is this the sea to sky highway - Vancouver to Squamish by any chance ?
It is indeed, about 30km south of Squamish if I remember correctly. The drainage on the road is terrible, so any sort of rain (often) and you get lots of surface water. The recovery truck guy said he was always busy!I've done it on a bike up to Whistler too, and in the dry sunshine it's one of the best roads.
I nearly pulled out of a T junction into the path of a Articulated lorry a few years ago. It was dark, in the early hours. I've got no idea why I didn't see it.
It was only for my passenger alerting me that I stopped and actually noticed it (rhd van, and it was approaching from my right).
It still bothers me now tbh.
It was only for my passenger alerting me that I stopped and actually noticed it (rhd van, and it was approaching from my right).
It still bothers me now tbh.
Another sailing one from me. Back in 1993, I was 18 and we were competing in the Fastnet race. We were coming back from the rock in about 35 knots of breeze in the middle of the night. It was pitch black with no moon at all and we were flying the heavy kite, #3 and one tuck in the main to keep the boat as powered up as we could, while still maintaining as much control as we could.
I took the helm as I came on watch at 0200 and things were getting pretty bouncy. We were holding a steady 14 / 15kts and regularly surfing at 20kts plus down some pretty big waves. There was so little light that I could t see the waves coming behind me, so it was a case of feeling the stern lift a little, pointing the bow into the trough and doing everything I could to keep the boat surfing as long and fast as possible before avoiding dipping the bow too heavily into the wave infront and risking a pitchpole.
On one particular wave, I got the boat flying along; we were travelling at 22 / 25kts into an abyss that I couldn't see the bottom of. The spray on each side was up to the first set of spreaders and all 4 of us on watch were being swamped by the amount of water coming on board, when suddenly another race boat with no Nav lights on appeared about a boat length in front of us. I crash-gybed the boat and broached it hard enough to bend the windex on the top of the mast when it hit the water.
We called "all hands" to help get the boat back upright and sort out the mess of lines, sails, bail out below and for bak under way. Lord knows what would have happened if we'd T-boned the other boat, as we were a couple of hundred miles from help, in very breezy conditions in what would have been a wreck of a race boat.
We continued to push hard for the next 2 days to the finish line off Plymouth Sound and won all 3 classes we were entered in by 6+ hours. Speaking with other crews in the bar afterwards, we were one of the only boats to fly a kite during that night and the following day, as it was so breezy. It was a wild ride downhill for 2 1/2 days, with the boat right on the ragged edge, but well worth it for a very convincing win.
I took the helm as I came on watch at 0200 and things were getting pretty bouncy. We were holding a steady 14 / 15kts and regularly surfing at 20kts plus down some pretty big waves. There was so little light that I could t see the waves coming behind me, so it was a case of feeling the stern lift a little, pointing the bow into the trough and doing everything I could to keep the boat surfing as long and fast as possible before avoiding dipping the bow too heavily into the wave infront and risking a pitchpole.
On one particular wave, I got the boat flying along; we were travelling at 22 / 25kts into an abyss that I couldn't see the bottom of. The spray on each side was up to the first set of spreaders and all 4 of us on watch were being swamped by the amount of water coming on board, when suddenly another race boat with no Nav lights on appeared about a boat length in front of us. I crash-gybed the boat and broached it hard enough to bend the windex on the top of the mast when it hit the water.
We called "all hands" to help get the boat back upright and sort out the mess of lines, sails, bail out below and for bak under way. Lord knows what would have happened if we'd T-boned the other boat, as we were a couple of hundred miles from help, in very breezy conditions in what would have been a wreck of a race boat.
We continued to push hard for the next 2 days to the finish line off Plymouth Sound and won all 3 classes we were entered in by 6+ hours. Speaking with other crews in the bar afterwards, we were one of the only boats to fly a kite during that night and the following day, as it was so breezy. It was a wild ride downhill for 2 1/2 days, with the boat right on the ragged edge, but well worth it for a very convincing win.
Let's see...
Been electrocuted a good few times as a kid - Flew across the room each time
Been knocked down by a car that ran a red light in Madrid doing 60kph. I flew across the street. ( That one hurt )
The Chechnan's planted a bomb in the restaurant I was in ... left a few minutes early before it went boom and wiped out a lot of folk.
Been in a four near miss aircraft incidents
Had a couple of pretty major health scares.
And about 20 other odd things that i just thought of.
Nope... My stuff is pretty lightweight to a lot of folks I know.
But the odd reminder that you are indeed mortal does sharpen the mind somewhat.
Been electrocuted a good few times as a kid - Flew across the room each time
Been knocked down by a car that ran a red light in Madrid doing 60kph. I flew across the street. ( That one hurt )
The Chechnan's planted a bomb in the restaurant I was in ... left a few minutes early before it went boom and wiped out a lot of folk.
Been in a four near miss aircraft incidents
Had a couple of pretty major health scares.
And about 20 other odd things that i just thought of.
Nope... My stuff is pretty lightweight to a lot of folks I know.
But the odd reminder that you are indeed mortal does sharpen the mind somewhat.
Baz Tench said:
Blib said:
A genuinely exciting tale. 
I think I'm too council to fully understand much of that.HTH.
24 years ago I survived this:
Fractured skull
Broken collar bone
Broken Arm
Six broken rigs
Punctured lung
Split diaphragm
Shattered femur
Spent 8 days in intensive care and 2 1/2 weeks in hospital.
Stopped breathing twice in the ambulance.
Forever thankful for the St Johns Ambulance that happened to be travelling nearby !
Fractured skull
Broken collar bone
Broken Arm
Six broken rigs
Punctured lung
Split diaphragm
Shattered femur
Spent 8 days in intensive care and 2 1/2 weeks in hospital.
Stopped breathing twice in the ambulance.
Forever thankful for the St Johns Ambulance that happened to be travelling nearby !
Am I lucky to be alive? I think so.
Many moons ago, I had one of these...
and I was in the process of turning it into one like this...
I borrowed one of these from a mate...
..and was using a wire brush with it to derust the bike's frame. (Ariel Arrow frames were made of pressed steel - it was the one bike that could rot!).
When I'd finished, I coiled the drill's cable in my left hand, while holding the drill in my right hand. I found out that my mate had extended the cable with one of these, wrapped with insulating tape...
There was one stray strand of live cable sticking out throught the tape. Result, one full-fat electric shock from live the earth across my upper bod. Making shapeless noises and with the scene in front of me zooming in and out at 50 cycles per second, I was utterly unable to let anything drop from my hands. I somehow managed to let go after a few seconds and blacked out. After a brandy and a lie down, I was as right as rain.
This was 44 years ago, so I think I survived.
Many moons ago, I had one of these...
and I was in the process of turning it into one like this...
I borrowed one of these from a mate...
..and was using a wire brush with it to derust the bike's frame. (Ariel Arrow frames were made of pressed steel - it was the one bike that could rot!).
When I'd finished, I coiled the drill's cable in my left hand, while holding the drill in my right hand. I found out that my mate had extended the cable with one of these, wrapped with insulating tape...
There was one stray strand of live cable sticking out throught the tape. Result, one full-fat electric shock from live the earth across my upper bod. Making shapeless noises and with the scene in front of me zooming in and out at 50 cycles per second, I was utterly unable to let anything drop from my hands. I somehow managed to let go after a few seconds and blacked out. After a brandy and a lie down, I was as right as rain.
This was 44 years ago, so I think I survived.
Blib said:
AIUI, Schmalex was driving a sail boat at night with the headlights off. It was going pretty quickly (for a boat) . One time, it fell off of the top of a wave and another sail boat happened to be at the bottom. So, he did a handbrake turn and the boat fell over. Everyone got wet. Schmalex called the other sailor men to help him get the boat to stand up straight and then they all drove home for tea and cakes.
HTH.
Like an Honest Trailer remix, love it. HTH.
Having been on big ships in the dead of night, it's always given me shivers thinking of a wee sailing boat in the middle of the sea.
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