10 People Who Survived or Died from Impossible Accidents
One of the biggest factors in survival is luck. Some people don’t believe in it, some call it chance, but whatever it is, something as small as a millimeter can make all the difference. When it comes to accidents, there are those who survived when they shouldn’t have and those who perished when the odds were in their favor. Here are 10 people who survived, or died from impossible accidents or situations.
10 People who Survived impossible things
1. Michael Holmes – Survived a Skydive Without a Parachute
In 2006, Michael Holmes, a professional skydiver, faced a nightmare scenario when both his main and reserve parachutes malfunctioned. Plummeting from 12,000 feet, he crashed into a blackberry bush — and miraculously survived with only a punctured lung and a broken ankle.
2. Tsutomu Yamaguchi – Survived Two Atomic Bombs
Tsutomu Yamaguchi lived through both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings in 1945. He was in Hiroshima when the first bomb dropped, suffering burns and injuries. After returning home to Nagasaki, the second bomb fell — yet he survived both and lived to the age of 93.
3. Roy Sullivan – Struck by Lightning Seven Times
Roy Sullivan, a park ranger in the U.S., holds the record for surviving seven separate lightning strikes between 1942 and 1977. Though he endured burns, injuries, and singed hair, he remarkably lived through all of them, earning the nickname “The Human Lightning Rod.”
4. Frane Selak – Escaped Death Seven Times
Croatian music teacher Frane Selak survived a series of bizarre accidents — a train derailment, a plane crash, bus and car accidents, and even a cliff fall. In an unexpected twist, he later won the lottery, adding a surreal ending to his string of misfortunes.
5. Hugh Glass – Mauled by a Bear and Left for Dead
In 1823, American frontiersman Hugh Glass was attacked by a grizzly bear. Gravely injured and abandoned by his crew, he crawled over 200 miles through the wilderness, surviving on raw fish and berries, determined to reach civilization.
6. Ann Hodges – Hit by a Meteorite
In 1954, Ann Hodges of Alabama became the first known person to be struck by a meteorite. The rock, about the size of a grapefruit, crashed through her roof and struck her hip. Despite severe bruising, she survived the cosmic collision.
7. Joe Simpson – Survived a Fall in the Andes
In 1985, mountaineer Joe Simpson fell into a crevasse after his climbing partner was forced to cut their safety rope. Left for dead, Simpson crawled for three days without food or water, finally reaching base camp just hours before his team planned to leave.
8. Mauro Prosperi – Survived 9 Days in the Sahara Desert
During the 1994 Marathon des Sables, Mauro Prosperi got lost in a sandstorm. He survived for nine days by drinking his urine and bat blood before being rescued. He lost 35 pounds but miraculously lived through the ordeal.
9. Aron Ralston – Amputated His Own Arm to Survive
In 2003, while canyoneering in Utah, Aron Ralston’s arm was trapped by a boulder. After five days, he amputated his arm with a dull knife to free himself. He then hiked to safety and inspired the movie 127 Hours.
10. Betty Lou Oliver – Survived a 75-Story Fall in an Elevator
In 1945, Betty Lou Oliver was operating an elevator in the Empire State Building when a B-25 bomber crashed into the building. The elevator cables snapped, and she fell 75 stories — but the emergency braking system slowed the fall just enough for her to survive.
10 People Who Died from the Tiniest Things
1. Draco of Athens – Smothered by Gifts
Draco, an ancient Greek lawmaker, died in the 7th century BC after being showered with cloaks, hats, and other garments by his admirers during a public event. The sheer weight of the “gifts” suffocated him.
2. Clement Vallandigham – Shot Himself in Court
In 1871, lawyer Clement Vallandigham tried to prove a murder victim had accidentally shot himself. He reenacted the scene using what he thought was an unloaded gun — but accidentally fired it, mortally wounding himself.
3. Allan Pinkerton – Bit His Tongue and Got an Infection
Allan Pinkerton, famous detective and founder of the Pinkerton Agency, accidentally bit his tongue in 1884. The wound became infected, leading to fatal blood poisoning.
4. Hans Steininger – Tripped Over His Own Beard
Hans Steininger, known for having a 4.5-foot-long beard, died in 1567 after tripping over it while fleeing a fire. The fall broke his neck, killing him instantly.
5. Basil Brown – Overdosed on Carrot Juice
British health enthusiast Basil Brown drank around 10 gallons of carrot juice in ten days, hoping to boost his vitamin A levels. The overdose severely damaged his liver and led to his death in 1974.
6. Gareth Jones – Laughed Himself to Death
In 1975, British man Gareth Jones watched The Goodies on TV and laughed uncontrollably for 25 minutes straight. He eventually suffered heart failure due to prolonged laughter.
7. Sherwood Anderson – Swallowed a Toothpick
American author Sherwood Anderson died in 1941 after swallowing a toothpick at a party. It perforated his internal organs, causing a fatal infection.
8. Isadora Duncan – Strangled by Her Scarf
Famed dancer Isadora Duncan died in 1927 when her long scarf caught in the wheel of a moving car. The sudden pull strangled her instantly.
9. Edward II of England – Killed by a Red-Hot Poker
While not entirely tiny, Edward II’s death in 1327 was notoriously gruesome. Legend says his assassins used a red-hot poker to kill him in a way that left no visible marks — a brutal end sparked by courtly intrigue.
10. Bobby Leach – Slipped on an Orange Peel
Bobby Leach, who survived going over Niagara Falls in a barrel in 1911, ironically died in 1926 after slipping on an orange peel, breaking his leg. The injury became infected, ultimately leading to his death.
