Sarapva
Midnight and Snowflake
- 25 Feb 2007
- 1,072
- 48
- 58
It would be interesting to hear about any life-threatening experiences people have had. Since we're here to talk about it, it means it had a good ending!
One of the most scary experiences I've had was in Alaska when I was in a canoeing accident. My sister and her husband and I were in the canoe (against my better judgment I agreed to get in the canoe in a rushing creek that flowed into a glacier-fed river). As soon as we met the current of the river, the canoe capsized in a split second. I found myself underneath the canoe at first, but was able to bring myself up over it. My sister and I were holding onto the bottom of the canoe, and my brother-in-law had gotten to the riverbank. The water was very cold, near freezing, and slowed down our speech and movements.
I had thought in that split second of the canoe capsizing that we had underestimated the danger of the Alaskan wilderness, which is something I had read that people often do in Alaska and northern wilderness, getting themselves into situations where they have to be rescued if they're still alive.
Luckily, the canoe drifted closer to the bank of the river, and I could feel the bottom with my foot. I told my sister to let go of the canoe and grab some tree branches along the edge of the bank, so we did that. As soon as I grabbed a branch and stopped moving with the current of the river, I could feel how strong the current was. It pushed against us so that we had to hold on tight.
My sister climbed out, but the cold of the water was starting to make me feel comfortable (like freezing to death is a "comfortable" death), and it seemed like it would take too much effort to climb over the tree branch. My brother-in-law yelled down, "Do you want me to come down and help you out?" It seemed kind of ridiculous to have him climb down when I was capable of getting out myself, so I forced myself to climb over the branch and up the bank. It took some effort, and I could see how people can die easily from hypothermia. The cold numbs your body so you don't feel anything, and then you even start to feel warm. But of course what's happening is that your body is shutting down.
It took quite a while for us to warm up, but we went back to the house and had hot tea and talked about it. We were all shaking visibly for probably an hour afterwards. I know that some people don't like to admit the existence of a "higher power" or God, but I do believe that God had a hand in saving us. Anyone who has this kind of experience can feel how close they've come to death, and it seems obvious that there was a reason we didn't die.
During our normal lives when we're not in danger of getting killed, we can kind of "forget" this thin line between life and death. But a life-threatening experience can scare you right down to your "soul" and remind you that this physical life isn't permanent.
One of the most scary experiences I've had was in Alaska when I was in a canoeing accident. My sister and her husband and I were in the canoe (against my better judgment I agreed to get in the canoe in a rushing creek that flowed into a glacier-fed river). As soon as we met the current of the river, the canoe capsized in a split second. I found myself underneath the canoe at first, but was able to bring myself up over it. My sister and I were holding onto the bottom of the canoe, and my brother-in-law had gotten to the riverbank. The water was very cold, near freezing, and slowed down our speech and movements.
I had thought in that split second of the canoe capsizing that we had underestimated the danger of the Alaskan wilderness, which is something I had read that people often do in Alaska and northern wilderness, getting themselves into situations where they have to be rescued if they're still alive.
Luckily, the canoe drifted closer to the bank of the river, and I could feel the bottom with my foot. I told my sister to let go of the canoe and grab some tree branches along the edge of the bank, so we did that. As soon as I grabbed a branch and stopped moving with the current of the river, I could feel how strong the current was. It pushed against us so that we had to hold on tight.
My sister climbed out, but the cold of the water was starting to make me feel comfortable (like freezing to death is a "comfortable" death), and it seemed like it would take too much effort to climb over the tree branch. My brother-in-law yelled down, "Do you want me to come down and help you out?" It seemed kind of ridiculous to have him climb down when I was capable of getting out myself, so I forced myself to climb over the branch and up the bank. It took some effort, and I could see how people can die easily from hypothermia. The cold numbs your body so you don't feel anything, and then you even start to feel warm. But of course what's happening is that your body is shutting down.
It took quite a while for us to warm up, but we went back to the house and had hot tea and talked about it. We were all shaking visibly for probably an hour afterwards. I know that some people don't like to admit the existence of a "higher power" or God, but I do believe that God had a hand in saving us. Anyone who has this kind of experience can feel how close they've come to death, and it seems obvious that there was a reason we didn't die.
During our normal lives when we're not in danger of getting killed, we can kind of "forget" this thin line between life and death. But a life-threatening experience can scare you right down to your "soul" and remind you that this physical life isn't permanent.