25+ “Cheating Death” Stories That Were So Intense, People Really, Really, Reaaaallly Wanted to Share Them

Most human beings will go through their entire lives without anything particularly eventful happening. Yet, for some, life puts them in situations where if they had been somewhere at a slightly different time or made a slightly different decision, they’d no longer be with us today — leaving them feeling shocked as well as lucky. From car crashes to earthquakes, these people cheated death by mere seconds!

Some Sketchy Skydiving

Skydiving falls into the category of extreme sports, and with good reason. Jumping out of an airplane and falling thousands of feet isn’t exactly safe, which is why skydivers go through rigorous training with strict safety procedures in place.

Some Sketchy Skydiving
Some Sketchy Skydiving

The reserve parachutes are checked frequently for reliability, but no one wants to be in a situation where they have to use theirs. That’s why it’s important to get the jump right from the get-go.

Escaping a Structural Collapse

California is well known for its earthquakes, but one of the more famous ones is the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — often called the World Series earthquake because it happened during the 1989 World Series game between two teams that were both from the area where the earthquake occurred.

Escaping a Structural Collapse
Escaping a Structural Collapse

The flat tire sensation that this person experienced was the earthquake. It was only later that they learned what happened to the double-layered structure, and how lucky they were to have raced out from underneath it in the nick of time.

A Publicity Stunt Gone Wrong

A PR stunt is an event that’s intended to get the attention of members of the public, and there are some pretty crazy ones. This person rappelling off of a building is a great example.

A Publicity Stunt Gone Wrong
A Publicity Stunt Gone Wrong

Thankfully, they managed to wait for the perfect moment to drop the last few feet into the balcony while still being blown around by the wind. One has to wonder if they ever pulled a stunt like that one again, or if once was enough.

Crane Comes Crashing Down

Cranes are a common sight in cities. They’re essential when it comes to lifting the heavy objects needed to construct buildings that would be hard for humans to do alone.

Crane Comes Crashing Down
Crane Comes Crashing Down

But like any construction equipment, one wrong move or bad situation can lead to severe and even fatal accidents. This person wouldn’t be with us today had they not walked away at just the right time. Maybe some part of them deep down knew what was coming.