![\"Square](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/square-peg-hammered-through-round-hole.jpg\")
Forcing Through A Hole Far Too Small<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Matthew Lowe<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2008<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Matthew Lowe is lucky to be alive. Moving at incredibly fast speeds has resulted in some major accidents that very few people could survive. When moving fast and attempting to go through a hole far too small, you could risk breaking bones, decapitation, and much more. Yet somehow, Lowe was able to survive this possible death. The story<\/a><\/strong> goes that Lowe was working when his overalls were caught in a factory machine that transports metal parts.<\/p>\nWhen this happened, he was being pulled and literally felt his skin rip and even heard his arm snap. The machine was yanking him with major force through just a five-inch opening on a conveyer. Somehow, the machine eventually decided just to spit him out on the other end. He sustained a broken back, pelvis, hips, and ribs along with a ruptured stomach and bowel. While he needed six operations and some metal pins put in, he lived and eventually returned to work. That’s the employee of the month!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Shutterstock](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_224240389.jpg\")
Race cars crash on a race track. Photo Credit: Grindstone Media Group\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nNASCAR’s Legendary Bristol 1990 Crash<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Michael Waltrip<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1990<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Michael Waltrip is one of the best NASCAR drivers in history. While his brother Darrell might be more notable and successful, Michael has been impressive on his own. He won the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 in his career. He’s retired today and can mostly be seen as a commentator for the NASCAR Cup Series among numerous other race events. Yet Waltrip is lucky to be alive today after a major accident at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1990<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nIn one of the most amazing accidents people have walked away from, Waltrip went into a major crash during the race. By the time the crash ended, he was in the roll cage but it had been mangled and broken. Somehow, it protected Michael long enough to survive the crash. Most who watched it happen rightly assumed that they just watch a man die because his car was literally crushed with a lot of the car managing to fly off during the crash. Yet he lived to tell the tale.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"José](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/jose-salvador-alvarenga-salvadoran-castaway.jpg\")
José Salvador Alvarenga, who survived 13 months adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Photo Credit: Roberto Escobar\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAdrift At Sea For 13 Months<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> José Salvador Alvarenga<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2012-2013<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
José Salvador Alvarenga did something that no one had ever done before him. He survived adrift at sea<\/a><\/strong>, but he was not on some nice ship, yacht, or anything of the sort. He was in what was basically a lifeboat. The story goes that Alvarenga and a friend went to go fishing on the Pacific coast of Mexico’s southern Chiapas state in November 2012. The plan was to be gone no more than 30 hours as they hunted sharks, tuna, and even mahi-mahi. Yet a few hours in, they were hit by a huge storm that lasted for five days, throwing them off of their original course.<\/p>\nTheir radio did not work, nor did the other electronics. Their boat motor was damaged and there was no way to get out of their predicament. A search party was initially sent out but after two days, they found nothing. Assumed dead, the two men survived by eating raw fish, turtles, and jellyfish while drinking rainwater to remain hydrated. Sadly, the friend began getting sick off of raw food and died. Alvarenga spent nine more months at sea alone. He then somehow saw the small Marshall Islands, 13 months after setting out, and was rescued.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Vehicle](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/vehicle-in-australian-outback.jpg\")
Vehicle in Australian outback, red sand unpaved road. Photo Credit: Iacomino FRiMAGES\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAustralian Outback Hitchhikers Leaves Man For Dead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Ricky Megee<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2006<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It might be hard to label what happened to Ricky Megee<\/a><\/strong> as one of the accidents people walked away from, considering his situation was no accident, but we’ll explain. In January 2006, Megee was driving through the Australian Outback on his way to his work when he picked up hitchhikers. The next thing he claims to remember was waking up in a shallow grave somewhere in the Outback, and dingoes scratching at the plastic that was wrapped over him.<\/p>\nMegee survived for 71 days, living off of frogs, leeches, snakes, and even drinking his own urine. He even barricaded his shelter at night with rocks so that animals would not come in and attack him at night. Workers on a remote cattle ranch spotted Megee and saved him. Now as thin as a skeleton, he was drastically malnourished and dehydrated. While his story is a good one, many believe he had a random dumb accident and used the hitchhiker story to cover the real issue up.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Chainsaw\"](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/chainsaw.jpg\")
Woodcutter sawing chain saw in motion. Photo Credit: Parilov\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMan Nearly Saws Off His Own Head<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Forthman Murff<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1984<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A man with the amazing name of Forthman Murff<\/a><\/strong> had been a lifelong lumberjack. He had a chainsaw that he used for work on numerous projects. One day in 1984, the now 74-year-old was cutting down trees with the chainsaw in an area close to his home. Yet on this day, he nearly died. When trimming trees, a branch fell and knocked Murff out as well as causing him to fall into a ditch. His fall broke his leg and only further KOed the man. Yet his chainsaw never turned off.<\/p>\nOnce he woke up, he realized his chainsaw was cutting into his neck. He managed to stand up and position his head so that blood did not run down his windpipe. He then drove himself roughly half a mile to his neighbor’s house who took him to the hospital. Doctors discovered he had sawn through his windpipe, esophagus, and jugular veins. That left just the spine and some skin holding his head in place. This was one of the accidents people walked away from that still shocks us.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Shutterstock](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1187012473.jpg\")
Man gets blown away by a storm. Photo Credit: photoschmidt\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBeing Thrown By A Tornado And Surviving<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Matt Suter<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place<\/strong>: 2006<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While not exactly one of the accidents people walked away from, we do consider it an accident considering no one could properly plan well enough for weather issues. Matt Suter survived a brush with death that few can claim. He was thrown by a tornado in March 2006 when a tornado picked up his mobile home in Fordland, Missouri.<\/p>\n
After being sucked up by the tornado<\/a><\/strong>, it spat Suter and his home out 398 meters (or 1,305 feet) from his original location. Somehow surviving, Suter is lucky enough to also have the Guinness World Record for the furthest distance to be thrown by a tornado and survive. Issues like this are obviously rare and considered “act of God” situations. Yet we have to wonder how his home insurance covered those damages.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"Leonid](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/leonid-rogozov-appendix-surgery.jpg\")
Leonid Rogozov Appendix Surgery. Photo Credit: Flickr<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Doctor Who Performed Surgery… On Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Dr. Leonid Rogozov<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1961<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Waking up and getting out of bed in the morning is tough for many of us, but how about performing surgery on yourself? This happened to Dr. Leonid Rogozov in April of 1961. He had appendicitis but was in the Soviet Antarctic and unable to get to a proper surgeon. Yet everyone knew he needed to have the appendix removed<\/a><\/strong> before it killed him. None of the 12 researchers at this Antarctic facility had medical training, so he had to do things all on his own.<\/p>\nHe could not use anesthesia to be all loopy because, of course, HE was the one performing the surgery. He used just a shot of Novacaine for his initial incision. This was only a local anesthetic too! He used a mirror to help but it quickly became useless to him. The doctor then had to just operate on himself by touch alone. Rogozov apparently removed the appendix just in time, as it was truly ready to burst. He just needed two weeks of recovery before returning to work.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Shutterstock](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1530415274.jpg\")
Man holding an electric drill to his temple like a gun. Photo Credit: Andrei Metelev\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMan Accidentally Drills Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Ron Hunt<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2003<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Ron Hunt was like any other construction worker in Truckee, California. He went to work and put in a hard day’s labor, then returned home each day. But one day in 2003, he fell down to the ground suddenly as his ladder gave out from under him. At the time, the standard practice in times like this is to throw one’s drill as far away as possible. Yet Hunt did not throw it far enough and his head smashed right into the drill<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe drill bit that forced its way into Hunt’s skull was 18 inches long and about 1.5 inches thick. Any situation like this normally would be a story about some crazy death. But this is an article about the most amazing accidents people walked away from. Of course, he survived. The drill bit wedged its way through his eye and right out of the side of the skull. It did not tear any brain tissue, only pushing it said. Although Hunt’s eye was pretty bad, his brain was completely fine.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Steam](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/steam-engine-train.jpg\")
Retro steam train departs from the station. Photo Credit: Serjio74\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBeing Cut In Half By A Train<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Truman Duncan<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2006<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When you think about accidents people walked away from, we traditionally consider some of the incidents mentioned previously. Not literally being cut in half! But this is just what Truman Duncan<\/a><\/strong> experienced in 2006. Sadly, while on a train in Cleburne, Texas he fell onto the tracks. A repairman for the rail yards in Cleburne, he knew that the fall could be deadly so he tried to thrust himself back to avoid being crushed. Yet he was caught underneath it instead.<\/p>\nRoughly 9,000 kilograms or roughly 19,800 lbs of metal passed over him and destroyed most of his middle and lower body. But somehow, he remained conscious and was able to call 911 from his own cell phone. Once he arrived at the hospital, surgeons tried to make him stable. It took 23 surgeries over the course of 4 months to save his life. He would lose his left leg, most of his right, one kidney, and his entire pelvis. Yet he lived, and even returned to work months afterward, but in the office instead.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Jeremy](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/7791391072_a142d61e86_o-e1705238998929.jpg\")
Jeremy Foley’s crashed Mitsubishi Evolution. Photo Credit: Flickr<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPike’s Peak International Hill Climb Crash Of 2012<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Jeremy Foley<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2012<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When Jeremy Foley decided to compete in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb in 2012, he did not expect to have a problem with the mountain. Many have blasted up this mountain at crazy speeds, so Foley was no different. However, any mistake here could be disastrous. That is just what happened to Foley<\/a><\/strong>, as he sped across a turn that caused his vehicle to slide off. That resulted in more than just a mere slide off the road.<\/p>\nNow, Foley was seeing himself violently fall down the entire mountain! His vehicle would begin to roll on its side all the way down, slowly but surely being torn into pieces on the way down. The entire time, Jeremy was inside praying he’d survive the mountain top fall. Yet on this day, Death was able to rest as Foley managed to survive the fall. It is still, nearly a decade later, one of the most amazing accidents people walked away from in racing history.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Luxury](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/luxury-ocean-liner.jpg\")
Luxury Ocean Liner – Titanic. Photo Credit: Lightmax84\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Infamous Sinking Of The Titanic<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Thousands Of People<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1912<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
When the Titanic set out for its maiden voyage, everyone was excited to see what would come of it. Many, especially those with money, thought the idea of Luxury travel by ship seemed like a great idea. Traveling the world in style? How could you possibly use your wealth better? While the Titanic had luxury opportunities for the first class, the rest of the ship did not have these opportunities. Once the Titanic, thought to be unsinkable<\/a><\/strong>, hit an iceberg, it only took just two hours to sink completely.<\/p>\nTo make the ship “appear” more luxurious, they decided not to add enough lifeboats for everyone on board. This caused mass panic on board, where more first and second-class people made it to the boats but the rest did not. It was widely reported that those below were barricaded in to save the richer people. Roughly 2,224 passengers and crew were aboard and 1,500 of those people died. While it was one of the accidents people walked away from, that cannot be said for most aboard.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Skydiving\"](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/skydiving.jpg\")
Skydiver jump over the sea and mountains. Photo Credit: Mauricio Graiki\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Skydiver’s Nightmare<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Michael Holmes<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2009<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It is said by some that if people were meant to fly, we would be given wings. New Zealand skydiving instructor, Michael Holmes, found this out the hard way. We know from basic science that what goes up, must come down. Gravity cannot be stopped even for the best of us, and Holmes realized just how impactful a fall can be. He lept out of a plane in 2009, something he did often as an instructor.<\/p>\n
Yet unlike all skydiving adventures he went on, his first parachute did not open<\/a><\/strong>. Neither did his backup. Now, Holmes faced sure death as he was falling at roughly 70 mph straight to the ground below. He was sure to die, right? Somehow, Holmes lucked out and landed in a blackberry bush. While he still hit hard, the bush cushioned his fall. He only sustained a broken ankle and collapsed lung. This is still one of the most shocking accidents that people walked away from.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"Greg](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/greg-rasmussen.jpeg\")
Portrait of Greg Rasmussen. Photo Credit: Flickr<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nPlane Crash In The African Wilderness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Greg Rasmussen<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 2003<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Greg Rasmussen would tell you himself that he should be dead today. He fits our list of accidents that people walked away from very well, as he had to deal with numerous problems to survive<\/a><\/strong>. First, his plane was being hit by strong winds in 2003 which caused him to crash in the African bush. Surviving the crash alone was not easy, but now he had to somehow survive the horrific African elements. For 27 straight hours, Rasmussen was subjected to dehydration and horrible heat.<\/p>\nHe also had several animal encounters that would be tough for any man, especially for a man who crashed in a plane. He was charged at by a herd of elephants, stalked by a lioness, and even approached by hungry hyenas. Yet he still dragged himself back to the wreckage of his plane with two broken legs and a fractured pelvis. Once help arrived, doctors feared they would not save his legs. However, 100 operations and three inches of height cut later, they managed to save them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Phineas](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/phineas-gage.jpg\")
Portrait of brain-injury survivor Phineas P. Gage. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nStuck Through The Brain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Phineas Gage<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1848<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We all know by now how important the human brain<\/a><\/strong> is to our survival. Without it, no one could truly live. While we could talk about consciousness and that rabbit hole for three articles, that is another story for another time. The point is, the brain is important and Phineas Gage nearly was impaled completely<\/a><\/strong> through his. In 1848, he was working on a railroad when a 3.5-foot, 13-pound rod went into his head during an explosion.<\/p>\nHe had been using it to pack a hole meant packed with explosives but did not move it. The rod went through his jaw, brain, and skull. It did not just stick in, the thing went in and exited out at a high speed. Part of Gage’s brain was even on the thing. To the surprise of everyone, he survived. Gage lived another 12 years, though suffering from seizures and major emotional\/cognitive problems as well as a drooping eyelid. We felt he was more than deserving of our list of accidents people walked away from.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n![\"Shutterstock](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_109834889.jpg\")
Joe Simpson at the Operation Smile Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Photo Credit: Jaguar PS\/Shutterstock<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCrawling To Safety From Sure Death<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Joe Simpson<\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong> 1985<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This is not just one of the most amazing accidents people walked away from. It is also a story of friendship, we’ll explain. Two men, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were climbing the Peruvian Andes together when Simpson somehow broke his leg. Yates did his best to get his friend back to safety using a rope to lower Simpson down a mountain ledge. Sadly, Yates ran out of rope and had to cut the line. He didn’t want to do it, but both men wanted at least one of them to live.<\/p>\n
Yates cut the line while Simpson fell to a ledge just below. Joe did not sustain any new injuries but he was sure to die with a broken leg in the middle of nowhere, right? No! Simpson literally crawled a total of 6 miles<\/a><\/strong> over the span of 4 days to make his way back to camp. Once he made it, Yates had already made it back to the camp shortly before him and the two saw each other again to the amazement of both men.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"Tsutomu](\"https:\/\/dev.sciencesensei.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/tsutomu-yamaguchi-.jpg\")
Tsutomu Yamaguchi. Photo Credit: Public Domain Pictures<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSurviving Two Atomic Bombs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n- Person Involved:<\/strong> Tsutomu Yamaguchi <\/em><\/li>\n
- Year Accident Took Place:<\/strong>
Matthew Lowe is lucky to be alive. Moving at incredibly fast speeds has resulted in some major accidents that very few people could survive. When moving fast and attempting to go through a hole far too small, you could risk breaking bones, decapitation, and much more. Yet somehow, Lowe was able to survive this possible death. The story<\/a><\/strong> goes that Lowe was working when his overalls were caught in a factory machine that transports metal parts.<\/p>\n When this happened, he was being pulled and literally felt his skin rip and even heard his arm snap. The machine was yanking him with major force through just a five-inch opening on a conveyer. Somehow, the machine eventually decided just to spit him out on the other end. He sustained a broken back, pelvis, hips, and ribs along with a ruptured stomach and bowel. While he needed six operations and some metal pins put in, he lived and eventually returned to work. That’s the employee of the month!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Michael Waltrip is one of the best NASCAR drivers in history. While his brother Darrell might be more notable and successful, Michael has been impressive on his own. He won the 2001 and 2003 Daytona 500 in his career. He’s retired today and can mostly be seen as a commentator for the NASCAR Cup Series among numerous other race events. Yet Waltrip is lucky to be alive today after a major accident at Bristol Motor Speedway in 1990<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n In one of the most amazing accidents people have walked away from, Waltrip went into a major crash during the race. By the time the crash ended, he was in the roll cage but it had been mangled and broken. Somehow, it protected Michael long enough to survive the crash. Most who watched it happen rightly assumed that they just watch a man die because his car was literally crushed with a lot of the car managing to fly off during the crash. Yet he lived to tell the tale.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n José Salvador Alvarenga did something that no one had ever done before him. He survived adrift at sea<\/a><\/strong>, but he was not on some nice ship, yacht, or anything of the sort. He was in what was basically a lifeboat. The story goes that Alvarenga and a friend went to go fishing on the Pacific coast of Mexico’s southern Chiapas state in November 2012. The plan was to be gone no more than 30 hours as they hunted sharks, tuna, and even mahi-mahi. Yet a few hours in, they were hit by a huge storm that lasted for five days, throwing them off of their original course.<\/p>\n Their radio did not work, nor did the other electronics. Their boat motor was damaged and there was no way to get out of their predicament. A search party was initially sent out but after two days, they found nothing. Assumed dead, the two men survived by eating raw fish, turtles, and jellyfish while drinking rainwater to remain hydrated. Sadly, the friend began getting sick off of raw food and died. Alvarenga spent nine more months at sea alone. He then somehow saw the small Marshall Islands, 13 months after setting out, and was rescued.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It might be hard to label what happened to Ricky Megee<\/a><\/strong> as one of the accidents people walked away from, considering his situation was no accident, but we’ll explain. In January 2006, Megee was driving through the Australian Outback on his way to his work when he picked up hitchhikers. The next thing he claims to remember was waking up in a shallow grave somewhere in the Outback, and dingoes scratching at the plastic that was wrapped over him.<\/p>\n Megee survived for 71 days, living off of frogs, leeches, snakes, and even drinking his own urine. He even barricaded his shelter at night with rocks so that animals would not come in and attack him at night. Workers on a remote cattle ranch spotted Megee and saved him. Now as thin as a skeleton, he was drastically malnourished and dehydrated. While his story is a good one, many believe he had a random dumb accident and used the hitchhiker story to cover the real issue up.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A man with the amazing name of Forthman Murff<\/a><\/strong> had been a lifelong lumberjack. He had a chainsaw that he used for work on numerous projects. One day in 1984, the now 74-year-old was cutting down trees with the chainsaw in an area close to his home. Yet on this day, he nearly died. When trimming trees, a branch fell and knocked Murff out as well as causing him to fall into a ditch. His fall broke his leg and only further KOed the man. Yet his chainsaw never turned off.<\/p>\n Once he woke up, he realized his chainsaw was cutting into his neck. He managed to stand up and position his head so that blood did not run down his windpipe. He then drove himself roughly half a mile to his neighbor’s house who took him to the hospital. Doctors discovered he had sawn through his windpipe, esophagus, and jugular veins. That left just the spine and some skin holding his head in place. This was one of the accidents people walked away from that still shocks us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While not exactly one of the accidents people walked away from, we do consider it an accident considering no one could properly plan well enough for weather issues. Matt Suter survived a brush with death that few can claim. He was thrown by a tornado in March 2006 when a tornado picked up his mobile home in Fordland, Missouri.<\/p>\n After being sucked up by the tornado<\/a><\/strong>, it spat Suter and his home out 398 meters (or 1,305 feet) from his original location. Somehow surviving, Suter is lucky enough to also have the Guinness World Record for the furthest distance to be thrown by a tornado and survive. Issues like this are obviously rare and considered “act of God” situations. Yet we have to wonder how his home insurance covered those damages.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Waking up and getting out of bed in the morning is tough for many of us, but how about performing surgery on yourself? This happened to Dr. Leonid Rogozov in April of 1961. He had appendicitis but was in the Soviet Antarctic and unable to get to a proper surgeon. Yet everyone knew he needed to have the appendix removed<\/a><\/strong> before it killed him. None of the 12 researchers at this Antarctic facility had medical training, so he had to do things all on his own.<\/p>\n He could not use anesthesia to be all loopy because, of course, HE was the one performing the surgery. He used just a shot of Novacaine for his initial incision. This was only a local anesthetic too! He used a mirror to help but it quickly became useless to him. The doctor then had to just operate on himself by touch alone. Rogozov apparently removed the appendix just in time, as it was truly ready to burst. He just needed two weeks of recovery before returning to work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ron Hunt was like any other construction worker in Truckee, California. He went to work and put in a hard day’s labor, then returned home each day. But one day in 2003, he fell down to the ground suddenly as his ladder gave out from under him. At the time, the standard practice in times like this is to throw one’s drill as far away as possible. Yet Hunt did not throw it far enough and his head smashed right into the drill<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The drill bit that forced its way into Hunt’s skull was 18 inches long and about 1.5 inches thick. Any situation like this normally would be a story about some crazy death. But this is an article about the most amazing accidents people walked away from. Of course, he survived. The drill bit wedged its way through his eye and right out of the side of the skull. It did not tear any brain tissue, only pushing it said. Although Hunt’s eye was pretty bad, his brain was completely fine.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When you think about accidents people walked away from, we traditionally consider some of the incidents mentioned previously. Not literally being cut in half! But this is just what Truman Duncan<\/a><\/strong> experienced in 2006. Sadly, while on a train in Cleburne, Texas he fell onto the tracks. A repairman for the rail yards in Cleburne, he knew that the fall could be deadly so he tried to thrust himself back to avoid being crushed. Yet he was caught underneath it instead.<\/p>\n Roughly 9,000 kilograms or roughly 19,800 lbs of metal passed over him and destroyed most of his middle and lower body. But somehow, he remained conscious and was able to call 911 from his own cell phone. Once he arrived at the hospital, surgeons tried to make him stable. It took 23 surgeries over the course of 4 months to save his life. He would lose his left leg, most of his right, one kidney, and his entire pelvis. Yet he lived, and even returned to work months afterward, but in the office instead.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When Jeremy Foley decided to compete in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb in 2012, he did not expect to have a problem with the mountain. Many have blasted up this mountain at crazy speeds, so Foley was no different. However, any mistake here could be disastrous. That is just what happened to Foley<\/a><\/strong>, as he sped across a turn that caused his vehicle to slide off. That resulted in more than just a mere slide off the road.<\/p>\n Now, Foley was seeing himself violently fall down the entire mountain! His vehicle would begin to roll on its side all the way down, slowly but surely being torn into pieces on the way down. The entire time, Jeremy was inside praying he’d survive the mountain top fall. Yet on this day, Death was able to rest as Foley managed to survive the fall. It is still, nearly a decade later, one of the most amazing accidents people walked away from in racing history.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When the Titanic set out for its maiden voyage, everyone was excited to see what would come of it. Many, especially those with money, thought the idea of Luxury travel by ship seemed like a great idea. Traveling the world in style? How could you possibly use your wealth better? While the Titanic had luxury opportunities for the first class, the rest of the ship did not have these opportunities. Once the Titanic, thought to be unsinkable<\/a><\/strong>, hit an iceberg, it only took just two hours to sink completely.<\/p>\n To make the ship “appear” more luxurious, they decided not to add enough lifeboats for everyone on board. This caused mass panic on board, where more first and second-class people made it to the boats but the rest did not. It was widely reported that those below were barricaded in to save the richer people. Roughly 2,224 passengers and crew were aboard and 1,500 of those people died. While it was one of the accidents people walked away from, that cannot be said for most aboard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is said by some that if people were meant to fly, we would be given wings. New Zealand skydiving instructor, Michael Holmes, found this out the hard way. We know from basic science that what goes up, must come down. Gravity cannot be stopped even for the best of us, and Holmes realized just how impactful a fall can be. He lept out of a plane in 2009, something he did often as an instructor.<\/p>\n Yet unlike all skydiving adventures he went on, his first parachute did not open<\/a><\/strong>. Neither did his backup. Now, Holmes faced sure death as he was falling at roughly 70 mph straight to the ground below. He was sure to die, right? Somehow, Holmes lucked out and landed in a blackberry bush. While he still hit hard, the bush cushioned his fall. He only sustained a broken ankle and collapsed lung. This is still one of the most shocking accidents that people walked away from.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greg Rasmussen would tell you himself that he should be dead today. He fits our list of accidents that people walked away from very well, as he had to deal with numerous problems to survive<\/a><\/strong>. First, his plane was being hit by strong winds in 2003 which caused him to crash in the African bush. Surviving the crash alone was not easy, but now he had to somehow survive the horrific African elements. For 27 straight hours, Rasmussen was subjected to dehydration and horrible heat.<\/p>\n He also had several animal encounters that would be tough for any man, especially for a man who crashed in a plane. He was charged at by a herd of elephants, stalked by a lioness, and even approached by hungry hyenas. Yet he still dragged himself back to the wreckage of his plane with two broken legs and a fractured pelvis. Once help arrived, doctors feared they would not save his legs. However, 100 operations and three inches of height cut later, they managed to save them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We all know by now how important the human brain<\/a><\/strong> is to our survival. Without it, no one could truly live. While we could talk about consciousness and that rabbit hole for three articles, that is another story for another time. The point is, the brain is important and Phineas Gage nearly was impaled completely<\/a><\/strong> through his. In 1848, he was working on a railroad when a 3.5-foot, 13-pound rod went into his head during an explosion.<\/p>\n He had been using it to pack a hole meant packed with explosives but did not move it. The rod went through his jaw, brain, and skull. It did not just stick in, the thing went in and exited out at a high speed. Part of Gage’s brain was even on the thing. To the surprise of everyone, he survived. Gage lived another 12 years, though suffering from seizures and major emotional\/cognitive problems as well as a drooping eyelid. We felt he was more than deserving of our list of accidents people walked away from.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is not just one of the most amazing accidents people walked away from. It is also a story of friendship, we’ll explain. Two men, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates were climbing the Peruvian Andes together when Simpson somehow broke his leg. Yates did his best to get his friend back to safety using a rope to lower Simpson down a mountain ledge. Sadly, Yates ran out of rope and had to cut the line. He didn’t want to do it, but both men wanted at least one of them to live.<\/p>\n Yates cut the line while Simpson fell to a ledge just below. Joe did not sustain any new injuries but he was sure to die with a broken leg in the middle of nowhere, right? No! Simpson literally crawled a total of 6 miles<\/a><\/strong> over the span of 4 days to make his way back to camp. Once he made it, Yates had already made it back to the camp shortly before him and the two saw each other again to the amazement of both men.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nNASCAR’s Legendary Bristol 1990 Crash<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Adrift At Sea For 13 Months<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Australian Outback Hitchhikers Leaves Man For Dead<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Man Nearly Saws Off His Own Head<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Being Thrown By A Tornado And Surviving<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
The Doctor Who Performed Surgery… On Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Man Accidentally Drills Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Being Cut In Half By A Train<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb Crash Of 2012<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
The Infamous Sinking Of The Titanic<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
The Skydiver’s Nightmare<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Plane Crash In The African Wilderness<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Stuck Through The Brain<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Crawling To Safety From Sure Death<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
Surviving Two Atomic Bombs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n