Author Topic: Have you been a witness to tragedy?  (Read 9992 times)

PEIslander

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Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« on: March 18, 2015, 09:46:01 AM »
I just remembered something from my youth I don't think I've thought about in decades. When I was five or six years old my family went to an air show. During the show there was a skydiving display and those of us on the ground watched as one of the skydivers plunged to his death. His chute had come out but it didn't properly open. I remember the shock/horror of all the people at the airshow but I don't really remember my own reaction. I think I didn't fully understand what was going on. Looking back I think because of my young age I couldn't really empathise with the accident victim and that likely spared me the horror the older witnesses would have felt. With hindsight I feel lucky for that. To truly feel the horror of experiencing a tragedy must be one of the most unpleasant experiences in life. I'm thankful I haven't known that kind of horror and I wonder how I would cope with that type of experience in my life today.

If you've experienced a horror I am sorry. I imagine such experiences are very common yet they don't get talked about much.

Have you been a witness to a tragedy?

dycker1978

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2015, 09:51:23 AM »
Much similar to your situation, I was at a local air show.  There was a 3 plane act, father, son, and family friend.  The son's plane was having issues, so he grounded him self and the father and friend continued with the act.  The Son walked over to the announcers booth to help talk about the act, so he could still be a part of it I suppose.

He was announcing the act, when something went wrong.  The two planes in the air collided, killing both pilots.  I remember the horror of seeing that accident, but more so I remember the scream of anguish from the son. It took 5 people to hold him back so that he did not get hurt as the wreckage came to the ground.  I felt so horrible for him that day.

I have never been to another air show, and have no desire to ever see one again. 

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2015, 11:12:19 AM »
Yes, 9/11.

I  live in NJ and at that time worked in a Wall St. company in downtown NY ( 1 New York Plaza, right next to the South ferry terminal).

That morning was a bright beautiful fall day, the kind you wish the whole year was like. I was running late when I got to the PATH station under the North tower of the W.T.C. at about 8:35am (Approx 10 mins before the first plane struck).

On an average day, I would walk from the W.T.C. to 1 New York Plaza. Maybe a 10 minute walk. Luckily that day since I was late, I decided to take the subway to South Ferry. If I had walked, I might have have debris raining down on me.

So, got to work, and my wife called me saying a plane had hit the W.T.C. There have been cases of small planes hitting the skyscrapers, including a WWII bomber which hit the Empire state building. So I assumed it was a small plane. Anyway, I decided to see if I can see anything from my boss's office (42nd floor, corner office) who was away. Could not even see the north tower since the south tower blocked the view. Looking at the amount of smoke, I was thinking, this was not a small plane.

As I was watching, the United plane (Flight 175?), flew past us and crashed into the south tower. For those who have seen video's of the plane hitting the tower, I can tell you, the explosion when the plane hit the tower was far more violent and noisy compared to the videos.

The NYSE was shut down and within a very short time our management told us to leave. Elevators had been shutdown, so walking down 42 flights was not fun. When we got outside, paper was raining down on us, similar to what you find in a ticker tape parade. I picked up one sheet, and it was a first class menu from the United flight.

We (couple of colleagues and me) got to mid town using a subway we knew did not go under the WTC. Got on a train from Penn Station to NJ, which after leaving the station was recalled to Penn station, since the tunnels had to be inspected for sabotage. Somewhere around 2pm (not really sure), got on a train back home.

I was very lucky that day. I have fellow commuters from my town who died in this tragedy, not anyone close, but people you saw on the train every day.

I usually do not speak of this, but when the US Seals got OBL, I seem to have had a closure of this event.
« Last Edit: March 18, 2015, 11:14:20 AM by CowboyAndIndian »

GuitarStv

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2015, 11:35:11 AM »
I watched 'Batman & Robin' in theaters.  So . . . yeah.

aetherie

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2015, 12:58:37 PM »
Thankfully, no, I haven't.

When my mother was 19 she happened to be first on the scene of a horrific car accident in rural NY. Several kids were involved. I believe one of them died in her arms. She doesn't talk about it much, but I know it took the rest of that summer for her to recover from the experience.

Le Poisson

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2015, 01:08:22 PM »
I work as a road safety engineer. My job is to document and recreate fatal and serious crashes in order to determine the road authority's liability, and to recommend changes to our road network to make it safer.

I never see a crash, but it is my job to recreate every one of them on paper.

Some of them are quite horrific, and I wonder if my imagination is as bad as what actually happened.

When we do get sued, I get to go to court and redo the whole process.

Every week I live through a tragedy, but I never get to witness it. Maybe I'm lucky. I don't know.

I have thought it might be interesting to start a thread on the real costs of risky driving.

MandalayVA

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2015, 01:57:35 PM »
I saw the crash at the Pentagon on 9/11.  My boss at the time and I were coming back from a seminar in Crystal City where we'd stayed overnight.  We could see the Pentagon up ahead of us when suddenly we heard this huge roar above our heads.  We looked up and saw the plane for maybe two seconds--it was going REALLY fast--and then we saw the fireball and heard the explosion.  We both yelled "Holy shit!" and my boss had to slam on his brakes because all around us people were stopping their cars and getting out to stare.  I thought the plane had come from Reagan National Airport, which isn't that far from the Pentagon, but when we got out some guy was yelling "America's under attack!  America's under attack!" which was when we found out about the World Trade Center.  I called Mr. Mandalay at work--I had gotten my first cell phone the month before--and I still remember the panic in his voice when he said to someone in his office "they got the Pentagon too."  I was shaking so badly I could hardly stand and so was my boss, but he had Valium and gave me some before we drove away.  DC traffic is notoriously awful so we didn't get back to Richmond until early afternoon.  I came into the apartment, turned on the TV, and just watched.

It happened so fast. 

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2015, 02:17:55 PM »

I called Mr. Mandalay at work--I had gotten my first cell phone the month before--and I still remember the panic in his voice when he said to someone in his office "they got the Pentagon too." 

In NY, none of the cell phones worked, since a lot of towers were on the WTC.
One of my friends had a texting pager and we used those to communiciate with my wife in NJ, and she would pass on the message.

Allen

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2015, 02:23:31 PM »
At a rodeo a guy got severely and repeatedly trampled by a bull.  They carried him off and everyone applauded but I have to assume the dude was d-e-a-d. 

I was young, and like the first post it has always lingered in my head but never really bubbled to the emotional surface.

pdxbator

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2015, 02:25:16 PM »
Funny you should ask ....

Just last week I was riding my bicycle home. On the top of one of the bridges that goes through town over the river I saw a few bicyclists pulled over. There was a man perched out next to a pole. I had already passed them and stopped a couple hundred feet ahead. I looked back and saw one of the bicyclists on the phone assuming he was talking to 911. What more could one person do, I thought. I looked down at the full river a couple hundred feet down and I looked back at the man and he's jumping. He hit the river and all I see is his jacket in the water. The very fast police boat came up quickly and they wentunder the bridge due to the current. I rode home with a heavy heart.

Abe

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2015, 02:33:34 PM »
Working in a trauma center, I have seen a fair bit. Most of the patients pull through, but one person died after being shot while closing working in his family store. We managed to keep him alive initially after two damage-control operations and several dozen units of blood, but he ultimately died of severe lunge injury (ARDS) and was withdrawn from life support a week later. He had only recently moved to my city from his home country on a scholarship, and happened to be in the store helping that night after classes. Wrong time, wrong place I guess.

PEIslander

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2015, 03:19:36 PM »
I saw the crash at the Pentagon on 9/11...

Wow! That was an incredible experience. It must bug the hell out of you when conspiracy theorists claim there was no crash at the Pentagon.

BlueMR2

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2015, 03:25:26 PM »
Dayton airshow a couple years back.  I was about 20 feet back from the fence when the plane with the wingwalker went into the ground.  Very nearly straight in front of us.  I consider it a fairly minor tragedy as everyone involved is very aware of the risks.

It was a very subdued flight home though for us though having watched 2 fellow aviators die that day.

MishMash

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2015, 03:44:07 PM »
Me, I saw/found my grandmother dead on the couch when I was 5, woke up said two words to me then died, I told my dad she was sleeping.  Fast forward 10 years, I go to my other grandmothers house and found her dead, and disgusting since she had been there a few days on the floor.  The husband is military, he's sadly had more then his fair share in the many years he's been active.

The one in my family that still gets to all of us though is my cousin.  She was late for work on 9/11 and was in the lobby when the first plane hit, one of the floors it hit was hers, she lost everyone she worked with, then had to walk back to Long Island without anyone knowing she was still alive, including her kids.  Fast forward and her daughter was running the Boston Marathon the year it was bombed, she was a half a mile from the finish line when the explosion went off, no one knew for hours if she was OK and we all thought my cousin was going to go suicidal.  Her daughter is running it again this year, so she can actually finish it and get over her fear so we are all proud of her for that

MandalayVA

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2015, 05:22:39 PM »
I saw the crash at the Pentagon on 9/11...

Wow! That was an incredible experience. It must bug the hell out of you when conspiracy theorists claim there was no crash at the Pentagon.

Yes, when idiots (among whom I must number my late father) say "Nothing hit the Pentagon" I am totally like OH BULLSHIT.  My father actually said to me "well, you didn't get a picture of it."  Um, hi, Dad, CAMERA PHONES WEREN'T COMMONLY AVAILABLE IN 2001.  I would also point out that maybe five seconds passed between the time we heard the roar and the time that we saw the fireball/heard the explosion.  Not a lot of time to get out a camera of any sort.  Jesus, if America hated itself so much it would have been scorched to the earth a long time ago.

PS--I know what you're saying about "incredible" but it was horrible.  May no one here ever witness a commercial plane crash. 



expatartist

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #15 on: March 18, 2015, 07:22:03 PM »
9/11 as well. A more insulated experience than those who posted above. Saw the smoking towers and second plane hit. Friends/family couldn't get through to us for quite some time. Was temping in a midtown highrise, and we weren't allowed to leave the building for several hours. Subways were shut down by then so I walked home to Brooklyn. Stopped along the bridge, the burning buildings were cinematic and unreal on what had been a beautiful day. There were a hundred people at the other end of the Williamsburg bridge handing out cups of water - the air was dry and thick with smoke.  It was the first time I'd seen all our Puerto Rican and Hasidic neighbors united together. Took a valium, drank a couple shots of whiskey on our rooftop and passed out.

JamesAt15

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #16 on: March 18, 2015, 07:53:37 PM »
In fourth grade while we were out playing at recess, a lightning strike hit our playground and killed two kids. I was knocked over by the blast, I guess it was, but wasn't that close. I have a vague memory of looking back and seeing one of the kids lying on the dirt with smoke rising from the body. (But memories are tricky things.)

I don't have a lightning phobia or anything, but I guess I am slightly more averse than average to being outside and walking around when I can hear thunder and see lightning flashes.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #17 on: March 18, 2015, 10:35:04 PM »
Five years as a volunteer firefighter in a rural department where the volunteers are in the thick of the action. I saw some tragedies. I was also lucky to help many people on what were probably the worst days of their lives. The hardest calls (emotionally) involved kids or were situations, mostly car accidents, where an innocent person was killed because of the careless of reckless acts of some drunk or stupid SOB.

But damn if we didn't get some heroic saves, too...

YK-Phil

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #18 on: March 18, 2015, 11:25:48 PM »
Thirty-two years ago, a security guard was shot in front of me at a local grocery store in Montreal. I was at the till paying for my order while two security guards were making a scheduled cash pickup a few feet away. As I was paying, I saw a guy walking in the store with a handgun in his hand. Without warning, he shot the guard nearest me point-blank, once, then after the guard fell on the floor, a second time in the lower back, before the guard had the chance to even touch his side arm. When I heard the first shot, the sound was like that of a toy gun, and I thought it was some kind of a joke. It was only when I saw the guard lying on the floor that I realized it was not a joke. Everything had happened so quickly. The guard's face was white, he was still alive, and he had a blank expression on his face. Everyone in the store was on the ground, but I was still standing up, looking at the whole scene as if I were not really part of it. The killer saw me looking at him, and our eyes met for what felt to me like a long time, but I still could not move. I felt like I was suspended in time. That's when my girlfriend pulled me down forcibly under the till. I would have been shot if it were not for my girlfriend's quick reactions. Luckily for me, the killer left quickly without further bloodshed. I was the main witness to the crime, and I spent the whole night at the police station, pouring over hundreds of photos of potential suspects, but could not recognize anyone. For months, my girlfriend and I were terrified that the killer would find our name and address, and come to kill us. The case has never been solved, and I never asked if the guard survived. I just wanted to forget the whole thing. More than three decades later, I still can't erase the poor man's face from my memory. This will haunt me for a very long time.

louloulou

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2015, 05:16:25 AM »
Sadly yes, too many times.

When I was about 8, a lady standing beside me at a road crossing stepped out and was hit by a van, she was thrown up the road and died.

When I was about 12 I was at an air show (seem to be a bad place to go based on this thread). Something went wrong with a plane and it crashed badly, killing the pilot.

When I was 21 my husband was in a terrible MVA, he almost died but luckily didn't. The teenage girl in the bed beside his in ICU died, was horrific to watch the family knowing it could have so easily been us.

4 years ago I was living close to the epicenter of a large fatal earthquake. Witnessed massive damage and loss of life.

Last year I came across a motorbike vs van. Biker was dead.

I think I am quite good at mentally protecting myself from tragedies that happen around me but the earthquake was hard, I think because I had my young kids with me and feeling completely unable to protect them from what was happening was hard.

Killerbrandt

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #20 on: March 19, 2015, 11:17:51 AM »
WOW! Some of these are very sad! Well in high school living in Mountain Home AFB, my family went to the Thunder Birds air show. Because my dad was a higher ranking officer, we were put in the VIP section upfront and were all excited because we never had been in the front booth before. Well I was watching the jets take off and decided to watch the very last jet take off instead of watching the guys in the sky already. The last jet took off and made a loop, but finished the loop right into the ground. We were so close to the explosion that we could feel the heat, but strangely enough there was no sound. Everyone started screaming. Being such a military brat and loving anything military (All members are like family to me), I instantly started to break down and cry. My dad disappeared into a rescue group to get the area secured. My mom then asked if I saw the pilot at all. I actually remembered for a split second seeing a parachute come out but instantly hit the ground. After realizing that, we started to look in the distance for the pilot. It was a good 10 minutes looking, but we spotted the pilot trying to stand up, but he kept falling over. We screamed for them to get him, but they could not approach him for safety reasons from the smoke and fire still burning. Finally after what felt like forever, they sent an ambulance to him and picked him up. He was thankfully alive and recovered. He literally bailed the last second to steer the plane away from the crowds. Well it was not a horrible ending but sure left a scare for all the air shows I see now.

Flyingkea

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #21 on: March 19, 2015, 11:09:53 PM »
Quote
4 years ago I was living close to the epicenter of a large fatal earthquake. Witnessed massive damage and loss of life.
Christchurch?
My mum was in the CBD that day, fortunately at the edge so she didn't see much, but she is still traumatised by seeing a glass elevator fall 7 stories.

I'm lucky in that the worst I've seen was discovering pet cats that had been mauled to death. I was about 13 at the time. I carried a knife in my paper run bag for weeks afterwards.

Elliot

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #22 on: March 21, 2015, 08:48:29 AM »
Other than work (nurse, enough said), I have been first to the scene for two fatal car accidents. When I was in highschool, my friend was murdered by a family member who then killed himself. I was in the next room, and ran in just as the aggressor was dying. My friend held on for a while, but died in the ambulance of multiple GSW.
« Last Edit: March 21, 2015, 02:24:38 PM by Elliot »

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #23 on: March 21, 2015, 02:02:34 PM »
Other than work (nurse, enough said), I have been first to the scene for two fatal accidents. When I was in highschool, my friend was murdered by a family member who then killed himself. I was in the next room, and ran in just as the aggressor was dying. My friend held on for a while, but died in the ambulance of multiple GSW.

How awful!  I am so sorry.

louloulou

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #24 on: March 21, 2015, 05:37:50 PM »
Quote
4 years ago I was living close to the epicenter of a large fatal earthquake. Witnessed massive damage and loss of life.
Christchurch?
My mum was in the CBD that day, fortunately at the edge so she didn't see much, but she is still traumatised by seeing a glass elevator fall 7 stories.

I'm lucky in that the worst I've seen was discovering pet cats that had been mauled to death. I was about 13 at the time. I carried a knife in my paper run bag for weeks afterwards.

Yes Christchurch. We have since moved, there is just so much work to be done to get the city back on its feet.

G-dog

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #25 on: March 21, 2015, 06:29:09 PM »
Wow, some amazing stories here, so sorry folks had to experience all this. In college a roommate tried to kill herself via prescription drug overdose. But she came downstairs where we all saw her, so more of a cry for help. She lived, no blood and gore. I think that is my closest call - and it is nothing compared to the stories upthread.  Really makes it clear how little control we really have.

mnsaver

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #26 on: March 22, 2015, 05:43:03 PM »
When I was 16 my neighbor shot his wife, his two kids, and then himself. We heard the gun shoots and then watched as all the emergency personnel pulled up. When we came home from school that day they had the mattresses flipped over on the parking grass. I will never forget that sound as long as I live. Everyone though they had the perfect life and we found out later that there was a great deal of abuse going on. I'll always wonder why she didn't leave.

It just goes to show you can never know for sure what goes on behind closed doors.

luigi49

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #27 on: March 24, 2015, 11:55:45 AM »
I saw the challenger explode.  Also when I was overseas I saw two armed robbers gunned down.  My friend and I took a closer look of the deceased and saw the two shot in the head.  Their blood was running into the gutter like waterfall. 
« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 04:05:54 PM by luigi49 »

Kaspian

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #28 on: March 24, 2015, 01:11:53 PM »
When I lived in Vancouver, while walking back from the grocery one day a guy standing right in front of me hopped off the bridge.  Lots of people witnessed it.  He was dead on the train tracks below.  EMS and the police eventually showed up.  I think about it sometimes but it really traumatized my roommate who was with me at the time.  Took him weeks to get back to normal.

Gone Fishing

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #29 on: March 24, 2015, 02:50:50 PM »
I was hiking on a public trail when a young man came around the corner screaming for help because his dad had been shot.  Given the possiblity of a shooter, I was not inclined to approach, but the friend I was with, being more selfless than I, approached the victim.  Not willing to let my friend go along, I went with him.  The victim was seizing and bleeding profusely from a wound to his head, there was probably a two foot diameter pool of blood at this point.  I  figured he was a goner with only seconds left given that he looked just like the many farm animals I have put down.  Due to the fact that he was still moving and would likely not have an airway obstruction I assessed that he didn't need CPR and I was not to terribly inclined to put pressure on his wound considering the risk of bloodborne pathogens (and my desire to get out of there).  At this point, his son and my friend leave me alone with the man to get help (no cell phone signal).  After a few moments though, the man seems to begin regaining consiousnous, begins moaning and attempting to sit up.  I try to calm him and tell him he needs to lie down.  This was not working, and he continue to try and sit up, so I thought I might check his wallet for his name to help calm him.  I saw a bulge in his pocket and went for it, turns out it was a pistol! Probably not the right move, but I put it back immediately (I should have at least unloaded it).  Right about this time two rednecky looking fellows show up with a large scoped revolver.  Then start wiping it off with their shirt and tuck it back in the woods.  Shit is getting real!  About this time, my friend shows back up with the son.  The son takes over care of his father (who is sitting up at this point), and I got the hell out.  As we were approaching the parking area a pickup truck roars up and a fellow jumps out, I tell him to be careful because there are a few guns floating around.  He says, "Thanks", reaches back into his truck, pulls out HIS piece and takes off for the scene.  Finally, LE shows up, once again, I tell them to be careful.  He looks at the truck that showed up and says, "Oh, I know that guy, I'm not worried".  At this point, I just want to give a statement and get the hell out.  So my friend and I tell the deputy what we know, including the fact we never heard a gunshot and never saw anyone but the son.  They called in an airlift and we left. 

The rest of the weekend was spent rehashing and wondering what had happened.  Monday morning, I started calling EMS, Fire and Rescue, and the Sherriff's department, until I found someone who could tell me if the fellow had survived.  Finally got hold of someone who told me the man had, in fact, not been shot, but had suffered a seizure and hit his head on a rail on the way down.  The son had only interpreted the sound and the wound to be a gunshot.  Glad it all worked out, but not something I wish to repeat!       

MishMash

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #30 on: March 28, 2015, 02:56:17 PM »
I was hiking on a public trail when a young man came around the corner screaming for help because his dad had been shot.  Given the possiblity of a shooter, I was not inclined to approach, but the friend I was with, being more selfless than I, approached the victim.  Not willing to let my friend go along, I went with him.  The victim was seizing and bleeding profusely from a wound to his head, there was probably a two foot diameter pool of blood at this point.  I  figured he was a goner with only seconds left given that he looked just like the many farm animals I have put down.  Due to the fact that he was still moving and would likely not have an airway obstruction I assessed that he didn't need CPR and I was not to terribly inclined to put pressure on his wound considering the risk of bloodborne pathogens (and my desire to get out of there).  At this point, his son and my friend leave me alone with the man to get help (no cell phone signal).  After a few moments though, the man seems to begin regaining consiousnous, begins moaning and attempting to sit up.  I try to calm him and tell him he needs to lie down.  This was not working, and he continue to try and sit up, so I thought I might check his wallet for his name to help calm him.  I saw a bulge in his pocket and went for it, turns out it was a pistol! Probably not the right move, but I put it back immediately (I should have at least unloaded it).  Right about this time two rednecky looking fellows show up with a large scoped revolver.  Then start wiping it off with their shirt and tuck it back in the woods.  Shit is getting real!  About this time, my friend shows back up with the son.  The son takes over care of his father (who is sitting up at this point), and I got the hell out.  As we were approaching the parking area a pickup truck roars up and a fellow jumps out, I tell him to be careful because there are a few guns floating around.  He says, "Thanks", reaches back into his truck, pulls out HIS piece and takes off for the scene.  Finally, LE shows up, once again, I tell them to be careful.  He looks at the truck that showed up and says, "Oh, I know that guy, I'm not worried".  At this point, I just want to give a statement and get the hell out.  So my friend and I tell the deputy what we know, including the fact we never heard a gunshot and never saw anyone but the son.  They called in an airlift and we left. 

The rest of the weekend was spent rehashing and wondering what had happened.  Monday morning, I started calling EMS, Fire and Rescue, and the Sherriff's department, until I found someone who could tell me if the fellow had survived.  Finally got hold of someone who told me the man had, in fact, not been shot, but had suffered a seizure and hit his head on a rail on the way down.  The son had only interpreted the sound and the wound to be a gunshot.  Glad it all worked out, but not something I wish to repeat!     

Not quite sure what to say to this but I'm going to attempt to be as nice as possible despite every ounce of my body SCREAMING to say something nasty...Imagine it was you that was injured, bleeding, and had a son that was TERRIFIED and all you needed was help.  And you were left with someone who cared more about "getting away" then actually helping you.  You obviously felt guilty (as you should) after leaving since you felt the need to call around and ease your conscience that your cowardice hadn't aided in killing this poor guy.



Villanelle

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #31 on: March 28, 2015, 03:19:11 PM »
I lived in Japan during the 3/11 quake and tsunami.  We were far enough away that we didn't witness any major destruction, so I don't know if it qualifies for what the OP is looking for, but living there during the fear and the tension was really something.  It felt very much like being in the US during 9/11, I think.  I had students who lost family members and whose family members will never be able to return to living in their homes. I lived with daily radiation announcements, and stood in line to get my potassium iodide ration.

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #32 on: March 30, 2015, 12:43:25 PM »
I was hiking on a public trail when a young man came around the corner screaming for help because his dad had been shot.  Given the possiblity of a shooter, I was not inclined to approach, but the friend I was with, being more selfless than I, approached the victim.  Not willing to let my friend go along, I went with him.  The victim was seizing and bleeding profusely from a wound to his head, there was probably a two foot diameter pool of blood at this point.  I  figured he was a goner with only seconds left given that he looked just like the many farm animals I have put down.  Due to the fact that he was still moving and would likely not have an airway obstruction I assessed that he didn't need CPR and I was not to terribly inclined to put pressure on his wound considering the risk of bloodborne pathogens (and my desire to get out of there).  At this point, his son and my friend leave me alone with the man to get help (no cell phone signal).  After a few moments though, the man seems to begin regaining consiousnous, begins moaning and attempting to sit up.  I try to calm him and tell him he needs to lie down.  This was not working, and he continue to try and sit up, so I thought I might check his wallet for his name to help calm him.  I saw a bulge in his pocket and went for it, turns out it was a pistol! Probably not the right move, but I put it back immediately (I should have at least unloaded it).  Right about this time two rednecky looking fellows show up with a large scoped revolver.  Then start wiping it off with their shirt and tuck it back in the woods.  Shit is getting real!  About this time, my friend shows back up with the son.  The son takes over care of his father (who is sitting up at this point), and I got the hell out.  As we were approaching the parking area a pickup truck roars up and a fellow jumps out, I tell him to be careful because there are a few guns floating around.  He says, "Thanks", reaches back into his truck, pulls out HIS piece and takes off for the scene.  Finally, LE shows up, once again, I tell them to be careful.  He looks at the truck that showed up and says, "Oh, I know that guy, I'm not worried".  At this point, I just want to give a statement and get the hell out.  So my friend and I tell the deputy what we know, including the fact we never heard a gunshot and never saw anyone but the son.  They called in an airlift and we left. 

The rest of the weekend was spent rehashing and wondering what had happened.  Monday morning, I started calling EMS, Fire and Rescue, and the Sherriff's department, until I found someone who could tell me if the fellow had survived.  Finally got hold of someone who told me the man had, in fact, not been shot, but had suffered a seizure and hit his head on a rail on the way down.  The son had only interpreted the sound and the wound to be a gunshot.  Glad it all worked out, but not something I wish to repeat!     

Not quite sure what to say to this but I'm going to attempt to be as nice as possible despite every ounce of my body SCREAMING to say something nasty...Imagine it was you that was injured, bleeding, and had a son that was TERRIFIED and all you needed was help.  And you were left with someone who cared more about "getting away" then actually helping you.  You obviously felt guilty (as you should) after leaving since you felt the need to call around and ease your conscience that your cowardice hadn't aided in killing this poor guy.

First rule of First Aid, do not put yourself in danger to care for someone else.   
« Last Edit: March 30, 2015, 02:21:06 PM by So Close »

frpeebles

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Re: Have you been a witness to tragedy?
« Reply #33 on: April 08, 2015, 10:41:13 AM »
I've seen a few US presidents elected.