There but for the Grace of?

[pigletwillie]

As Alice points out in the wind damade thread, some 13 people lost their lives in the storms. One fatality was caused by a short section of brick wall being blown over, another 5 seconds and that person would have been safe, how unfortunate can one be?

Not wishing to trivialise the above, but has anybody had a

" but for the Grace of?"

moment and escaped with their life?

[jools]

Yes - yesterday! Another 2 seconds and my three kids and I would have been under that tree that fell in front of our car!

It was a child, I think, who was killed by the falling wall. How tragic is that. I can't bear to think about it!
Jools

[dexterdoglancashire]

I hand't realised until I got to work this morning, that a poor chap visiting Preston had been killed yesterday afternoon by a piece of the roofing whilst filling his car up with petrol, from the Sainsburys supermarket just a few yards down the road from where we live. I belive he was on his way home to Essex. My thoughts go out to his family, and everyone else who lost someone yesterday. DDL

[pigletwillie]

During the storm and whilst on his way home a friend of ours had a big stone go (brick sized) through the front windscreen and out of the back one of his car. It transpired that it had been thrown out of a lorrys set of twin wheels where it had become logged whilst on a building site.

Just a bit to one side and !!!!

It makes me realise how thin a thread we hang onto life by.

[nick the grief]

During the storm and whilst on his way home a friend of ours had a big stone go (brick sized) through the front windscreen and out of the back one of his car. It transpired that it had been thrown out of a lorrys set of twin wheels where it had become logged whilst on a building site.

Just a bit to one side and !!!!

It makes me realise how thin a thread we hang onto life by.

That is how Cyril Knowles ( 1970's footballer ex Totenham) son died Piglet. He was in the back seat of the car but sitting in the middle leaning on the two front seats when the stone came thru the windscreen & hit him killing him outright. Had it been a few years later he would have been strapped into a carseat!

[rustylady]

Makes me really grateful that I only had to repair the greenhouse and pick up the whelly bins. I don't think it was as bad here as it was in some parts, but it was still quite scary at times. Brought back memories of the hurricane Michael Fish said we weren't going to get.

[pigletwillie]

I was sat on a ferry in the English channel during that. 24 hours of hell that I do not want to revisit.

[Benacre]

When I was a copper I pulled two children from a burning car I had just pulled the last one out of the back seat(A 13 year old girl. when the Car exploded. I ended up with a bit if car sticking out of the top of my skull but both children were saved.
If I had hesitated I would not be here now and nor would they.
Last year I was invited to the girls wedding!
Benacre

[smallblueplanet]

Wow! How brave you are Benacre - and what a cool way to be able to celebrate it (many years on). Do you think if your numbers up its up?

[Benacre]

Yes I believe in God he takes the good ones as we all know and the bad ones are left for he devil. They (The bad ones) are on this earth longer because God cannot control the Devil.
Benacre

[smallblueplanet]

But surely God is omnipotent? He chooses not to intervene?

[dexterdoglancashire]

What a very brave thing to do benacre. Folks like you ought to get a medal. DDL

[Peter]

Good man Benacre, I drove past something like that many years ago, as the jam sandwich arrived and was mightily impressed by the bravery as the two men checked that the well-ablaze car was empty, getting clear just as the fuel tank went.

Must be nice to still have the contact.


Not a personal experience, nephew is in the army and one of his colleagues in Afghanistan had an RPG come in through the landrover door window and go out the other door. Think how small that winow is and how much of it, in a straight line through the vehicle, is occupied by a head.

[beefy]

Not really a "there but for the grace" moment but while sitting waiting to board a ferry in Greece a few years ago myself and the other driver of the other load thought we recognised the ferry . Looked and looked at it for about half an hour and then realised that it was the Herald of Free Enterprise.Turns out after she capsised outside Zebrugge they put her back on her feet towed her to a foreign shipyard fixed her up and sold her to a Greek shipping company.When we looked closely we could see where the name had been cut out and a new one welded in .Three hours there and three hours back ,we spent most of the time on the outside deck.

[NOG]

Mrs and I were out driving about 20 years ago and passing the lake there was a row of cars on the side of the road....so we stopped and got out and followed everyone to the side of the lake. I asked assembled crowd (20+) what was going on and matter of factly they said "oh that boy is drowning" poing to a youth about 30 yards out. Yep they were prepared to stand a watch him die.

So in I went.

When it was all over I was stood at the side of the road soaked and covered in mud and every one else buggered of.