Humans love to pretend that they’re invincible. And until you reach a certain age, you might genuinely believe that you are. As a teen, you may have been an adrenaline lover who took risks every single day. But life is unpredictable, and we never know when we’re about to be confronted with our own mortality.
Redditors have been recalling moments when they truly believed that their life was about to end. From surviving a near-fatal car accident to being trapped on a mountain after dark, these people have been through some terrifying experiences. We’ll warn you right now, pandas, that these stories might send chills down your spine. But we hope you’ll enjoy reading through them, and be sure to upvote the ones that you’re very glad didn’t end in tragedy!
#61
Heart attack while playing soccer at 17. I could literally feel the life getting drained out of my body and my eyes lose their light.
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3points
#62
I saw Ministry live. There was this 6 ft guy standing next to me high out of his mind off who tf knows what. He was staring at the pit with his back to the stage where the band was playing & like pantomiming where he wanted the crowd to be with his hands? I was against the barricade vibing out to the music and suddenly he grabbed my arm and pulled me up to him and yelled STOP MOVING. I tried to get out of his grip and he wouldn’t let go, so i looked up and spat right in his stupid eye. He let go to react to me spitting and i ran out of the venue as fast as i could. I’m a 5’2 woman btw.
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2points
#63
I took about a 100’ fall rock climbing, but didn’t hit the ground. My first piece of protection was a sling slung over a pillar. I was about 10’ above that when I fell, and I pulled that pillar (about a 100lb boulder) right off the wall. If I had tied that sling to the pillar it would’ve stayed attached to the rope and either crushed me, or pulled the next piece of protection (which was a trapezoidal aluminum nut about the size of my middle finger nail, and about 25’ further down) right out of the wall. And when I placed that nut my partner said “What are you doing that for?? It’ll never hold!” Luckily it did hold, otherwise I would’ve decked. But all I came away with was a sprained ankle from when my foot hit the wall and pushed me away while I fell. That just about [ended] my passion for traditional lead climbing. Fun while it lasted though!
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2points
#65
I’d been behind someone I was convinced was driving under the influence for a few miles, I rang 999 (UK) whilst following them but they turned off.
I joined a motorway, looked in the rear view mirror and it’s the same car again (I’m still on the call) - it flies up to me easily at 100mph, I managed to bin it into the next lane but there were many swear words shouted on the call by me.
I joined a motorway, looked in the rear view mirror and it’s the same car again (I’m still on the call) - it flies up to me easily at 100mph, I managed to bin it into the next lane but there were many swear words shouted on the call by me.
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2points
#66
Was on the beach in Portugal algarve in September 2018, first day on beach and the waves were massive, I was having fun diving under them etc until one wave caught me as I was sort of laying down my hands got stuck/buried in the sand and the wave took my legs over like a handstand except my hands were still stuck so my back sort of felt like it was about to snap.
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2points
#67
When I was on a mission trip in Zambia, we were on a walking safari with locals and came upon rhinos. I was in a bright pink tank top, and we were about 15 feet from them. One of the locals says “they are very attracted to bright colors, so everyone just stand still.”
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2points
#68
Flipped a three wheeler when I was a teenager. Destroyed my leg, but had my helmet. Still hit pretty hard. Knocked me out instantly, woke up for a few seconds to see people running towards me, and I was really fighting to stay away and then I just couldn't, thought that was that. Luckily (however you want to see it) I just rattled my brain a bit and got a concussion, all in all nothing crazy, I broke my foot, severe sprain in the ankle and broken leg.
Definitely not as crazy as a everyone else, but in that moment, I thought I was cooked.
Aside from that, the only other I feel like mentioning is when I got caught in a current at the beach, couldn't make it to shore, was exhausted from trying, so I decided to bearhug the bottom of a pier, but the barnacles were like razors and were just grating me, and when it got to be too much, I let go and luckily the same current eventually got me to shore, but the old men at the top were yelling at me because I had apparently drifted into they're fishing zone. So, I was battling drowning, heavily bleeding, exhausted, and was getting yelled at. I think I was 11 at the time and haven't been to the beach since.
Definitely not as crazy as a everyone else, but in that moment, I thought I was cooked.
Aside from that, the only other I feel like mentioning is when I got caught in a current at the beach, couldn't make it to shore, was exhausted from trying, so I decided to bearhug the bottom of a pier, but the barnacles were like razors and were just grating me, and when it got to be too much, I let go and luckily the same current eventually got me to shore, but the old men at the top were yelling at me because I had apparently drifted into they're fishing zone. So, I was battling drowning, heavily bleeding, exhausted, and was getting yelled at. I think I was 11 at the time and haven't been to the beach since.
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1point
#69
Almost drowned in the ocean a couple of times caught in heavy waves and undertow as a kid.
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1point
#71
Got lost hiking in Acadia national park.
It was storming out, like legit down pouring and we lost the trail, had to climb up slippery rocks in hopes we were heading in the right direction at the top.
We obviously made it eventually but I remember my whole family was kinda bugging out in the moment.
It was kinda funny asking my dad, soaking wet, trying to go up to strangers and explain our plight in exchange for a ride to the bottom of the mountain where our car was.
Someone obliged and pretty left Maine and never returned again.
It was storming out, like legit down pouring and we lost the trail, had to climb up slippery rocks in hopes we were heading in the right direction at the top.
We obviously made it eventually but I remember my whole family was kinda bugging out in the moment.
It was kinda funny asking my dad, soaking wet, trying to go up to strangers and explain our plight in exchange for a ride to the bottom of the mountain where our car was.
Someone obliged and pretty left Maine and never returned again.
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0points
#72
When I was 8 we were visiting my grandpa in Washington. We went on a ride up the mountain on dirt bikes and four-wheelers. I was on one of the four wheelers behind my mom. Grandpa taught my mom how to drive the 4 wheeler that day. Halfway up my mom feels like she's getting too close to the edge of the trail and tries to move us away, except everyone forgot to tell her how to lean. She got us stopped with maybe an inch or two of going over the edge. There was no rail. Just the edge of a cliff, several hundred feet down into trees. My grandpa's twin brother carefully lifted me off the back and handed me off to his wife. Then my stepdad, grandpa, and Grandpa's brother just pulled the 4 -wheeler with Mom still on it away from the edge.
It took a bit before mom was ready to go again. She had to stop shaking first. I rode behind grandpa's brother the rest of the day. Though later that day he flipped us off the back later that day. Fortunately it didn't come all the way over and land on us.
A couple days later I tried to drown in the river. Adults were climbing up to the top of these rocks and jumping into the water, I was in the water not far from the bank. None of the adults were very close to me. I had been jumping around on rocks to keep my head above the water. I slipped off one and couldn't touch the bottom. I also couldn't swim. I remember hearing my mom and aunt screaming for someone to get me. Mostly I remember struggling to come back up and the feeling of being pulled by the rivers current. Then my stepdad reached me and pulled me out. Coughing and vomiting river water and then crying.
I never did learn to swim.
It took a bit before mom was ready to go again. She had to stop shaking first. I rode behind grandpa's brother the rest of the day. Though later that day he flipped us off the back later that day. Fortunately it didn't come all the way over and land on us.
A couple days later I tried to drown in the river. Adults were climbing up to the top of these rocks and jumping into the water, I was in the water not far from the bank. None of the adults were very close to me. I had been jumping around on rocks to keep my head above the water. I slipped off one and couldn't touch the bottom. I also couldn't swim. I remember hearing my mom and aunt screaming for someone to get me. Mostly I remember struggling to come back up and the feeling of being pulled by the rivers current. Then my stepdad reached me and pulled me out. Coughing and vomiting river water and then crying.
I never did learn to swim.
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0points