Close calls with death - Page 3

Ric · #41 22-10-2007, 09:10 PM

I'll say one thing guys after reading of your scrapes and near misses, there is no way we can be called astronomy geeks.

I glad to see though that everyone has made it through relatively unscathed.

Cheers

xelasnave · #42 22-10-2007, 09:47 PM

I have had a few because I have been around for a while...a few car accident close calls, miscalculating when cutting down trees ... but I remembered the main one just now when I came back to look at the new posts.... I was going to tell you about a tree incidenct...and some of you would have heard me mention it... but Christmas eve a couple of years ago I was covering a car with blanket in a hail storm..came inside dripping wet and the phone rang... I only had shorts on wiped my ear and held the phone away from my head because my hair was still wet...silly I know but I should not have answered it and a short time after..bang.. I remember the noise it sounded as if a truck had dropped on the iron roof.....lightning..I dont know how long I was out for but found myself on the floor some distance from the phone when I came to...I was dry so in may have been a while...I had no burns and no internal organs were fried in retrospect...as I believe can happen... no physical damage even from the fall.. I think about it often and wonder why I survived and can only think it may have been the fact that I was wet such that the current was able to pass more around me than thru me... it was a cement floor ...the phone wires were not burnt as they will I believe... I read about folks geting hit a lot after that.

My life changed after that... over the next week a could not stop writing.. I used up every pen..every pad and every bit of paper and in the end was writing on the floor with charcoal... and read you have no idea everything over and over... I was to meet my wife on the coast for a weeks holiday with some others..she had left before me but I could not leave the house for over a week...I could not leave the bedroom for hours after... I sat on the bed in a state of shock...no pun intended.....with four black dogs all of us trembling ... in the months after I would get 15 books from the library and chew thru them in no time and read them over and over .

I now read so much on the net now but for some reason I like reading encyclopeades ..old ones from garage sales... before it I was not a reader.. I had to do too much when I was doing Law and then I did not like it at all...

The writing still seems obsessional as many probably have guessed.
And somehow the near death experience just changed me...I thing I understand when others say..when it is directed at you ...cause I felt that way.. I felt death was after me and really tried to get me this time....it was different to other things I have had happen ..it all has just come back to me now.

Sorry to ramble on but it got me thinking again about it... I feel I was very lucky even though my character may changed a little or so some around me say... but I will tell you it is very freaky for me when I am up home during a storm... I get to thinking its after me..silly but the fear makes me irrational I guess.

alex

xelasnave · #43 22-10-2007, 09:51 PM

Sorry I did not spell check it
alex

tornado33 · #44 22-10-2007, 11:20 PM

A scary one for me was when I used to hang glide. One afternoon I launched off scenic lookout, Newcastle, only to find the wind had died off too much and there wasnt enough "lift" or rising air in front of the hill to "soar" that is to remain airborne indefinately, or even make it into the landing zone at Empire Park, a nearby sports oval. Rocks with waves breaking over them awaited, except for a little beach at the southern end of the cliff. But I was too high to glide into there so I had to do a tight 360 degree turn over the surf, mistiming that would see me get wet feet indeed. Thankfully I came out of the turn just at the right height and position and glided in to a nice landing on the tiny beach. Heart in the mouth stuff indeed.
Scott

casstony · #45 23-10-2007, 09:35 AM

I've been having difficulty picking just one story but tornado33's post has inspired me to choose a hang gliding incident. What would you naturally do if you're twenty-something, cruising 100 feet or so above the cliff and you spot some girls in bikinis standing at the edge of the cliff watching you? Show off of course. So I cranked the wing over, got in 2 or 3 tight 360's heading back towards the girls (and the cliff) - can I fit one more in, I thought to myself......yeah. Well, passing at high speed about 6 feet in front of the cliff might have been impressive had it not been for the look of terror on my face. Talking to the girls later they said they could see the whites of my eyes through my dark sun glasses.

Other memorable (not necessarily life threatening) incidents that come to mind are: flying under power lines, landing in the bull paddock, flying with wedgetails, being attacked and damaged by wedgetails, having a squadron of American jet fighters blast through a couple of hundred feet below me ......... you'd have to be bloody mad to fly hang gliders.

xelasnave · #46 23-10-2007, 09:41 AM

You fly boys shout out to death and dare it to get you every time your feet leave the ground.. the idea is so appealing but the reality so scary.
alex

casstony · #47 23-10-2007, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

You fly boys shout out to death and dare it to get you every time your feet leave the ground.. the idea is so appealing but the reality so scary.
alex

Some scary times and some serene times; circling in smooth lift with a curious wedgetail at my wing tip mimicking my flight - he's looking at me, I'm looking at him - quite surreal.

My philosophy is the older you get the more risks you can afford to take, since there is less of your life to lose.

Dujon · #48 23-10-2007, 10:45 AM

Wrong, casstony. The older you get the more precious the remaining minutes become.

I would like to see my granddaughter grow up - perhaps even see her go to university and attend her graduation ceremony.

As far as acceptance of one's mortality goes I suppose that I am not much different to others (although I don't and have not ridden motor bikes). Fortunately I have survived. Motor car accidents, particularly in my rev-head youth; the odd medical problem plus being married for 37 years have all added to the rich fabric of one man's existence.

I am looking forward to my next 63 years of life - risks and all.

casstony · #49 23-10-2007, 11:44 AM

Perhaps we could meet half-way Dujon. While I empathise with wanting to see the grandkids grow up, I see too many people being struck down with disease in late middle-age, or living to 90 but with a dysfunctional body or mind. I see a window of opportunity in the 60's or early 70's to get out and do stuff before quality of life declines: hot air ballooning over the Namib desert, astronomy on the Tibetan plateau, boating around the Mediterranean following the footsteps of the Phoenicians; pick something that's not too dangerous and take the kids along.

xelasnave · #50 23-10-2007, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casstony

Some scary times and some serene times; circling in smooth lift with a curious wedgetail at my wing tip mimicking my flight - he's looking at me, I'm looking at him - quite surreal.

My philosophy is the older you get the more risks you can afford to take, since there is less of your life to lose.

Yes I cab imagine ..I love Eagles but you can not get near them on the ground up home...I am always after a photo but even with a 300mm lens can not get close...they must see a big eye looking at the and think they are my prey...

Have you ever thought what they may be thinking when they are with you up there... a mate or a meal I wonder.

I am the opposite in my philosophy I admit. Once a big risk taker ...absolutely bullet proof now a mere mortal I dont want to die and finally realise that I will die...its not me that I worry about but how will the world manage if I am not here

.

Great to hear of your experience I must say for a moment you took me there..thanks for giving me the experience.

best wishes enjoy and cherish your life

alex

xelasnave · #51 23-10-2007, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by casstony

Perhaps we could meet half-way Dujon. While I empathise with wanting to see the grandkids grow up, I see too many people being struck down with disease in late middle-age, or living to 90 but with a dysfunctional body or mind. I see a window of opportunity in the 60's or early 70's to get out and do stuff before quality of life declines: hot air ballooning over the Namib desert, astronomy on the Tibetan plateau, boating around the Mediterranean following the footsteps of the Phoenicians; pick something that's not too dangerous and take the kids along.

My goal is to be on the patio of the old folks home being fed mush and having a nurse wipe my chin... most think such is crazy but I feel one will still have a consciousness of life..internaly I feel more lucid as each year passes so I figure I will have my thoughts.

And death is experience in itself ...I dont want to go in a moment but to linger..die of thirst in a life boat over weeks ..they say you only live once well you only die once... so drag it out I say..give me time to think about what I am about to leave, give me time to review my understanding of all I know..give me time to assign a meaning to existence...give me time to prepare a speech when my ancestors welcome me.

alex

casstony · #52 23-10-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

Have you ever thought what they may be thinking when they are with you up there... a mate or a meal I wonder.

alex

Based on their behaviour I suspect they think you're another eagle. At different times they will fly with you, pursue you until you're out of their nesting area or (a friend's experience) attempt to play with you, diving below then rising up and presenting their talons to the pilot (an unsettling experience).

A friend and I managed to outwit a pair of wedgetails for about 15 minutes once. I was in their nesting area which they defend ferociously. They took turns attacking me from above - I couldn't see them but thay'd give themselves away by screeching for the last several seconds of their attack dive. At that point I'd pull on speed then pitch the wing up presenting the eagle with a wall of sail - the bird was forced to flare to avoid crashing into the sail and would literally tumble over the leading edge of the glider. Then it was a race to regain height, for me to have maneuvering space and the eagle to position for another diving attack. They took turns working on the two gliders but eventually I got hit - hell of a crashing sound it was too. I headed down to land leaving my friend alone with the eagles - he didn't last long. My sail got a couple of inch long tears but it was a wonderful experience - just brought me that much closer to the birds.

ving (David) · #53 23-10-2007, 01:05 PM

hmm... i bought a heq5 and a camera lens without telling cheryl!

man did i get a talking to!

been a mountain biker most of my adult life and while i havent endangered my life i have had broken bones and ripped cartilidge in my knee, etc... thats about it. I also used to chase snakes around catching them and almost got bitten by a black snake once, but they arent that dangerous i guess. none of the brown snakes i have caught have come close to biting me.

casstony · #54 23-10-2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

And death is experience in itself ...I dont want to go in a moment but to linger..die of thirst in a life boat over weeks ..they say you only live once well you only die once... so drag it out I say..give me time to think about what I am about to leave, give me time to review my understanding of all I know..give me time to assign a meaning to existence...give me time to prepare a speech when my ancestors welcome me.

alex

I can understand wanting to explore such an experience in it's entirety, but I think death is overrated. Integrative complexity is good to a certain point. Perhaps you and I can compare deaths once it's all over Alex and reflect on which is the better way to go

casstony · #55 23-10-2007, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I am the opposite in my philosophy I admit. Once a big risk taker ...absolutely bullet proof now a mere mortal I dont want to die and finally realise that I will die...its not me that I worry about but how will the world manage if I am not here

.

alex

Iceinspace would be a duller place

xelasnave · #56 23-10-2007, 02:31 PM

Tony thanks for the detailed account of the eagles... I tell my daughter about the people I meet on the net and their experiences and I know that this will be the best one for her... we have good imaginations hearing about things is like actually doing it.. I saw all you described so vividly.
Thank you
alex

xelasnave · #57 23-10-2007, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ving

hmm... i bought a heq5 and a camera lens without telling cheryl!

man did i get a talking to!

been a mountain biker most of my adult life and while i havent endangered my life i have had broken bones and ripped cartilidge in my knee, etc... thats about it. I also used to chase snakes around catching them and almost got bitten by a black snake once, but they arent that dangerous i guess. none of the brown snakes i have caught have come close to biting me.

Your are young and probably dont realise how close you have come... bike accidents can kill you.. brown snakes can kill you... A ticked off wife can kill you...and the effort of mountain bikes may have caused the odd heart attack I suspect...
When you are bullet proof you dont think really about it as much I guess.
alex

ving (David) · #58 23-10-2007, 03:01 PM

not that young alex, im 40 in a few months

most of my accidents happened in my late 20's and early 30's tho

ticked off wife is scarey tho!

GeoffW1 (Geoff) · #59 23-10-2007, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xelasnave

But in the interests of geting our minds off the unpleasentness of our day let creep in ...lets think and post our close calls with death.

alex

Hi,

What a very interesting thread this is too.

I was a keen scuba diver once, and ran out of air at 120 ft. No air, no breath left either....that was a long swim. Good training got me out of that one.

I remember the time my brakes faded out completely coming down Black Mountain too. Sheer luck got me out of that one.

Glad to be here.

Cheers

taminga16 (Greg) · #60 23-10-2007, 05:43 PM

Sorry Alex, given the choice I would like to go quickly,

BETTER TO BE SHOT OUT OF A CANNON THAN SQUEEZED FROM A TUBE.

Regards,

Greg.

And death is experience in itself ...I dont want to go in a moment but to linger..die of thirst in a life boat over weeks ..they say you only live once well you only die once... so drag it out I say..give me time to think about what I am about to leave, give me time to review my understanding of all I know..give me time to assign a meaning to existence...give me time to prepare a speech when my ancestors welcome me.

alex[/QUOTE]