People you know that died in a freak accident. What happened?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Come on, DCUM, fuel my existential anxiety on this fine Friday.

This was NOT a death, but could’ve very easily result in several. I know a family of 5 whose house was built on a coal mine in a subdivision (as were most houses & structures there). The house slowly sunk and interior parts of the house started collapsing. Foundational issues abound. Anyway, the family kept living there until they couldn’t take it anymore. They moved, the house was knocked down and all that’s on the property is a fenced-off pile of dirt & rocks now. The house was torn down roughly 16 years after it was built.

[Anonymous]

Family member swept off the rocks in Hawaii by a big wave and drowned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In high school the mom of a boy I knew had Parked her car at the top of their driveway and didn't put it in park, went down to get the mail and her own car hit and killed her.

A friend of mine bought a house in the Bay Area from a couple where that had happened to the wife. Steep driveway, she was unloading groceries.

[Anonymous]

Realtor colleague of my mom got out of her car to get something from the trunk. Driveway was on an incline, parking brake disengaged and backed over her.

[Anonymous]

My cousins seven-year-old son got into the family car, released the parking brake, let the car roll down the hill where it hit the tree deploying the airbag and killing him instantly.

[Anonymous]

Lots of people die on the toilet. Google it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Essentially, a relative died from banging his elbow on a door which resulted in a tiny cut. Cellulitis set in and he ignored it until it started moving up and down his arm, rendering him unable to move it. He became septic and passed away shortly after being admitted to the ICU.

Elderly relative? My mom developed cellulitis in her arm in her 90s in a similar way.

[Anonymous]

My biggest fear is having a log, pole, or ladder fall off a truck in front of me while I'm driving and decapitate or otherwise impale me. I can't be behind them. It's freaky to me reading about similar things happening to friends of posters here.

I know someone whose toddler was killed by a lawnmower. Tragic and freak accident. I can't even imagine knowing that's how someone I loved died.

[Anonymous]

A janitor in my elementary school dove into a cold pool on his honeymoon, apparently went into some kind of shock, and never came back up above water. He had been really kind and funny so the school really mourned.

And a cousin's young son was run over by a car backing out of the driveway. (I know we already determined that they aren't freak accidents.) He was biking and wearing a helmet. Doctors were so focused on checking for brain injury that they didn't notice internal bleeding near his heart.

[Anonymous]

Classmate from college was struck by lightning while hiking and died

[Anonymous]

Friend's dad was an amazing speed ice skater. During practice, he choked on his gum, flew into the wall and died.

[Anonymous]

Can't say this was "known by me" but former co-worker was mountain biking with a friend and they were attacked by a cougar. Friend died, former co-worker survived. I read about it over the weekend, saying to my friend "holy sh!t, look at this story, that's just some damn bad luck". This was on the west coast and we worked on the east coast. Only to go to work Monday and find out it was someone at work. It was a large organization and I didn't know the co-worker at all but many people I worked with did. Very strange.

[Anonymous]

Friend’s preschooler drowned on a boating outing. While they were distracted for a couple minutes, she slipped off her life jacket and presumably quietly got in the water to swim. They didn’t notice until it was too late. Not necessarily freak bc childhood drowning is sadly common, but a somber reminder to me as a parent. I just can’t relax around water with kids ever since.

[Anonymous]

I know someone who died from a lightning strike. He was hiking during a storm (so you might say he had it coming) but it’s still pretty unexpected. And he was an great guy so if was really sad to hear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A janitor in my elementary school dove into a cold pool on his honeymoon, apparently went into some kind of shock, and never came back up above water. He had been really kind and funny so the school really mourned.

And a cousin's young son was run over by a car backing out of the driveway. (I know we already determined that they aren't freak accidents.) He was biking and wearing a helmet. Doctors were so focused on checking for brain injury that they didn't notice internal bleeding near his heart.

Op here. My daughter actually has cold urticaria and gets cold induced anaphylaxis (like from eating a popsicle, ice water, or shoving her face in snow). Our allergist has been very clear that falling or jumping into a cold body of water could be deadly within minutes from anaphylaxis shock. I bet he had the same. Terrible.