We Asked People About the Time They Literally Almost Died

Death follows us everywhere. It’s the one guarantee, but it’s also the one we know the least about. The fact that we could die at literally any moment is kinda morbid to think about, but it’s simultaneously incredibly freeing. 

Everyone has a story about the time they literally almost died. I have many. I don’t know if that’s normal. But even as every near-death experience is a lesson learned, new ways to almost die keep popping up in my life. I’m not even being dramatic. I’m just really clumsy and a little bit stupid.

The scariest time I almost died happened years ago. It was almost the saddest, weirdest, freak-accident death.

I’d woken up at my house with no memory of getting home – I’d just gone out for casual drinks with friends – feeling like I’d been hit by a truck. I was in my pyjamas, but when I got undressed I saw I had blood all over my body. Realising I had a huge gash on the back of my head, I went to the hospital.

Basically, I finally figured out that I’d fallen down the outside stairs to my apartment, split my head open on the concrete ground, passed out, somehow woken up after God knows how long and dragged myself to my room, got into my jammies and fell asleep, concussed. I am lucky to be alive. THAT IS HOW PEOPLE DIE!!!! The strangest part is that there are likely numerous timelines and universes out there where I did. It wasn’t my time in this one, thank fuck, but it still makes me feel UNWELL.

But I did learn a lesson. Death is just one freak accident away.

And these near death experiences are truly useful. They’re cautionary tales. So what better way to pool knowledge than to gather a bunch of near death stories in one place.

So, I asked people to tell me about the time they came freakishly close to meeting Their Maker. Here’s what they said. 

Emily, 24

The day after halloween my girlfriend and I were hightailing it home down the Hume Highway when one of my tires burst while doing 110 kms/h and my car spun completely out of control after I braked. This is how I learned that you should NOT slam the brakes when this happens. Apparently you’re meant to just stop accelerating and let the car stop while the exploded tire drags along the road… Anyway, the morbid thing about it was that we were both covered in fake blood from the night before while the car lurched and swerved about.

Julia, 17

I was in Fiji walking across this huge road with my mum when I was around the age of six and my Croc slipped off my foot. It had all the cutesy Jibbitz on it so I couldn’t lose that little blinged up rubbery shoe. I ran back to get it and was a split second away from getting hit by a car. I got the Croc back though so it was so fine with me.

VICE: That’s like “chasing your ball onto the road” but yassified.

Had to keep my Crocs safe !!!

Lulu, 19 

So, when I was in year eight, my mum made me a nitrogen gas costume for science day. It was a pillowcase with fluff stuck on with hot glue and a hole cut out for my head and arms. Anyway, I tried it on when no one was home and the holes were too small. I got caught in it and started suffocating and panicking. 

Deadass couldn’t breathe for about 2-3 mins. Finally managed to tear it off me. I obviously survived and slayed science day the following day.

Reid, 20

I almost had a full on heart attack at work, and had to go to the hospital for it lmao.

I was literally just sitting in the work car and then boom outta nowhere I felt my heart stop in my chest, then I had massive chest pain and my arm went numb and then after a few seconds that felt like forever I felt it triple over in my chest and then it triggered a full on anxiety attack when it went back to normal. Later on I found out I had really bad blood pressure, apparently it’s at a 90 year-old’s level and I’m only 20. 

But it was definitely a surprise that’s for sure. 

VICE: Did you glean any life lessons from the near-death experience?

I definitely think it made me take into consideration that it doesn’t matter how healthy you are or what you do in life, if your time comes it will. So just enjoy life as much as you can and try not to take things so seriously, just have fun and enjoy it. I’ve always kinda had that mindset but that situation kinda solidified it for me haha.

Jess, 23

I was on the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam riding a motorbike for the first time and slipped on rain water while going round a corner, and almost fell off the edge. I was legit one metre away from the cliff edge and Vietnam does not invest in barriers hahaha.

VICE: Did you see your life flash before your eyes?

I think I was like lol, I remember just skidding on my side and being like welp, fuck.

Did you have any major takeaways from the experience?

I was wearing a jade necklace that my grandma gave me before I went backpacking. And in Chinese culture, jade symbolises protection. So I think I was just grateful that it worked hahaha.

Sebastian, 18

So me and three other blokes had a trip up to Canberra. We planned to see a gig. The bloke who was driving picked us all up and we were on our way. It wasn’t until about an hour into the trip, we came up to this overtaking lane with really sharp corners and the car slipped out as we went to overtake, clipped the car in front of us then rolled four times before smashing into the embankment. 

I remember opening my eyes and we were all upside down. We somehow weren’t injured other than my mate sitting in the passenger seat who fractured his spine but luckily only slightly. 

After trying to get him out of the hospital and being unsuccessful, me and the driver (after he got let out of the police station) found another lift and partied all weekend.

VICE: Omg. Not partying all weekend after the near-fatal crash. Did you experience any life-changing realisations from the crash? A new lease on life?

Definitely. There was a sense of fear, but then comfort because anything could happen at any time no matter how careful you are. Time waits for no one. But by making positive decisions you can guide yourself into positive experiences.

Nikki, 28

Lmao cough syrup, valium, gin combo. Had to go to the hospital and my housemate had to empty my vom bucket (fully formed animal shaped pasta).

VICE: Waaaiiit no ON PURPOSE??

It’s a loaded story. It’s the animal pasta for me though.

Any big takeaways from the near death experience??

Chew your pasta, slow down before you call your best friend and tell her all of your art and books will be left to her, and the cough syrup high isn’t worth it.

Vuk, 37

I was at this engagement party during which my asthma started worsening. At some point I was sort of expecting a bad asthma attack, so I asked people I was with to take me home. Response was ‘oh just take your puffer (lol)’ – as if I hadn’t already. 

So I sat down in a corner, slowly expecting that sweet embrace of death while everyone else was having small talk (I actually don’t know who was worse off). Luckily someone noticed I was turning blue so they were like fuck it, straight to the hospital.

It was so bad that at the emergency they skipped triage (wait time at the emergency genuinely takes time, from experience), I was given steroids (not the small dick type), hooked to oxygen and some sort of drip. At this stage because of the medications (that increase your heart rate) I started having a severe panic attack as well (so really a severe fear of dying while dying this time) which as expected further increased my heart rate lol. 

They decided to strap me to an automated external defibrillator. In case you know, my heart fucks itself. Now this was well before I became a citizen, I was on my visa at the time so for them to keep me overnight would cost thousands. They were actually kind enough to keep me in the emergency until I was stabilised and sort of ready to go home.

VICE: Holy shit. In an old VICE mag I have there’s an article from someone  who had really severe asthma so they had died like five times before but been resuscitated each time and apparently the dying isn’t so bad but the pain from the defibrillators was the worst part…

That reminded me to tattoo ‘do not resuscitate’ on my chest lol.

Steven, 24

In year 8, I got to ride a horse for the first time, which was SUPER exciting. I was so keen. And, during the ride, I’m having the best time ever. I’m thinking ‘this is where I’m meant to be… this is my place in life’. 

Then my eyes started to get itchy. My face started to get really hot. And my throat started to get itchy and I pretty quickly realised, ‘ouh… I might be allergic to horses’.

And sure enough, by the end of the ride, both my eyes had swelled completely shut, and had just become these bulbous, red, messes. And my throat was completely red and super dry and I couldn’t breathe. And the last thing I remember essentially was being driven to some backwater country hospital by an incredibly terrified high school teacher.

VICE: That is so sad. Surely they have invented hypoallergenic horses by now?

God. I wish.

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