putting life into perspective

[olds442]

today i was with the family in the everglades riding airboats and having a general good time then it happend so fast another airboat in which my mother was on hit a small area of land traveling around 30mph these airboats being a little top heavy get a effect called the "hops" in which the boat hydroplanes across the water sideways and is very hard to control and if not correct fast can cause a roll over, well as the boat hit the land its rudder (single rudder boat) is torn off and it gets the hops with out being able to correct it (No steering ) the boat flips the driver is thrown past the boat as it flips but my mother is caught in mettle rail and flips with the boat. at this point I'm behind them in a another boat and we promptly drive into the grass to slow down, right now I'm thinking my mother is dead but some Friends of my dad are able to up right the boat and my mother is shaken but OK (Besides a broken knee and cut up some from the saw grass) this is the everglads so the water is no deeper than 3 feet in most places average depth being around foot and a half. defiantly puts life into perspective.

the boat my mother was on looked much like this (but green and single rudder)

what about you guys and stories you have about the "put life into perspective" type?

BTW: the boat was destoryed the 4 cylinder avation 180hp 5 blade engine was destoryed the hull was almost split into two sections.

[F22RaptorDude]

I've heard that the snakes down there, the invasive species of I think Pythons is getting out of control, I sure as hell would not want to be around that water

[PFactorDave]

I fell 25 feet while working in 2003.  I was falling head first, but fortunately hit a structure on the way down that caused me to flip and land mostly sideways.

Two weeks in the hospital, six months in a rented hospital bed in my living room, four surgeries (one more expected in a few years), and a permanent set of problems walking, sitting, bending over etc.

But I'm alive, which probably wouldn't be the case if I hadn't hit that structure on the way down.  Definitely a sobering experience.

[Tupac]

glad your mom is alright

[katanaso]

I've heard that the snakes down there, the invasive species of I think Pythons is getting out of control, I sure as hell would not want to be around that water

The pythons are out of control, but honestly, it would be the alligators that I would be scared of.

Glad to hear your Mom is generally okay.

I haven't been on an airboat in 30 years.  I remember it being a cool experience.  

[Dichotomy]

glad your mom is alright

This...

Very glad man..

[olds442]

The pythons are out of control, but honestly, it would be the alligators that I would be scared of.

Glad to hear your Mom is generally okay.

I haven't been on an airboat in 30 years.  I remember it being a cool experience.  

way i look at it is that you dont mess with them they dont mess with you.

gators are all over the place they are mellow dont mess with them they dont mess with you
as for snakes only thing you need to worry about it water snakes no pythons.

[icepac]

Diamondback rattlers are all over the glades.

[wil3ur]

...and swamp trolls.

[Maverick]

Life is a full contact sport and no one gets out alive.

Glad she survived the experiance and I hope she recovers fully. Life is and has always been fleeting, most of us need to be reminded of that from time to time. Cherish the time you have with family and friends.

[katanaso]

way i look at it is that you dont mess with them they dont mess with you.

gators are all over the place they are mellow dont mess with them they dont mess with you
as for snakes only thing you need to worry about it water snakes no pythons.

I've been living here for 36+ years now.  I worry about the gators, especially in breeding season.  And the Water Mocassins.

[MaSonZ]

glad your mom is ok.

don't have any "life changing" things that I recall... but deffinitly ones to keep my head on straight. I've seen drug OD's, faces mangled by blacktop, heard death shrieks from a compound fracture after the motorcyclist landed on a bed of jagged rocks and the nearest hospital is half an hour away.... been knocked out cold for a few minutes in hockey. arthritis in my knee. all things to view life different and keep my head on straight... none of it anytihng to brag about though.

[mbailey]

Firstly, glad to see your moms ok Olds.

This is my post, Myself and 2 friends went rafting,  We almost died.  Here is the newspaper artical (doesnt do it justice what we went thru)  Later it was featured on an episode of Code 3 (FOX '92 thru '94) hosted by Gil Gerard. (cant find the episode)

http://articles.mcall.com/1989-08-14/news/2703902_1_raft-rescuers-dramatic-rescue

Love my idiot friends comment at the end of the artical.......yes, i did smack him after reading it.

Artical about it being on Code 3

http://articles.mcall.com/1992-08-23/news/2870666_1_rafting-high-water-calm-waters




The only good thing to come from it is for  years, the video has been used as a training tape by the Pennsylvania Water Rescue Commission

[sntslilhlpr6601]

Does my cousin committing suicide last night count?   

Besides the Mustang incident I've talked about here I've never really had any close calls. Just lots of death. 

Just gotta keep on keepin' on I guess. Do what you gotta do to survive and in the meantime experience the world and have as much fun as you can. One of the many reasons I recently bought myself a motorcycle. Too bad my only biker friend is now gone...

Sometimes I think about what my family would go through if I ever ate it on the bike. But to me life is meaningless without joy. And sometimes you need to take risks to get that feeling. Selfish? Maybe. But not as selfish as putting a gun to your head.

[4Prop]

well when i was 13 months old I cut my finger off. it was sown back on and I still have it. when i was 14 I fell 18 ft out of a tree onto a stump. at 15 I had a minor heart attack in the middle of school. and most recently being shot at.