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Strange Deaths

SimonBurchell said:
Not sure where you're from but that's from the Daily Mail, so presumably 2nd floor UK, 3rd floor US - far enough, but possibly not instantaneous, although she would have fallen onto concrete which could quite possibly have done for her immediately from that height. Horrible, whether or not instantaneous - I sincerely hope it was instantaneous rather than being stuck in a dark lift shaft with all kind of injuries and no hope.
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It is creepy to realize that the cctv footage of only 1 1/2 minutes is the record of woman's last seconds of life. She falls only half minute into footage.
 
Not individually strange deaths, they were accidents, but 22 of them? Something's going wrong at the Skydive Lodi Parachute Center in California.

Yet another death at notorious Calif. skydiving center, bringing total to 22 since 1981

Yet another skydiver has died at the Skydive Lodi Parachute Center.

The skydiving school in San Joaquin County is now the site of 22 recorded deaths since opening in 1981. Nine of those deaths have occurred since 2016, according to the FAA.

The woman, identified as 57-year-old Sabrina Call of Watsonville by the San Joaquin County coroner, died on Saturday afternoon, officials said. A parachutist who jumped with her called the sheriff's office reporting that the victim's parachute became tangled.
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Trevp666 said:
An impact speed of only 8mph is surprisingly fast enough to break bones.
The free-fall calculator shows that falling from just 30 feet leads to you reaching a little over 29mph when you hit the ground.
Whereas a fall from 100 feet equals an impact speed of nearly 55mph.
That's gonna smart.
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/free-fall
https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-5/How-Fast-and-How-Far
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What You Need To Know About Falls From a Height:

Falls from a height can be either accidental or intentional (suicide attempt). There are several prognostic factors for survival that have been identified:
  • Height
  • Age
  • Type of surface
  • Body part that touches the ground first
Two other factors are important, but do not have a significant effect on mortality:
  • Circumstances of the fall (suicide, accident, escape)
  • Initial impact with an object before impacting the ground
Height. Overall, about half of victims die at the scene, and a total of 70% die before they reach the hospital. The median height leading to death is about 49 feet, or about 4 to 5 storeys. 100% of victims die after falling 85 feet, or about 8 storeys.

Age. Mortality increases with age due to pre-existing medical conditions and decreased physiologic reserve.

Type of surface. The type of surface struck (i.e. grass, water, construction debris) can also have an effect on secondary injuries and survival. Mortality after striking a hard surface is nearly double that of hitting a soft one (39% vs 22%)

Body part touching the ground first. The highest mortality is seen when the victim lands in a prone position (57%). Striking head first has the next highest mortality at 44%. The best striking position is feet first, with a mortality of 6%.

Reference:

Crit Care Med 33(6): 1239-1242, 2005.

https://regionstraumapro.com/post/328981320

maximus otter
 
Meanwhile, at a lower level...

The height at which falls result in the greatest physical number deaths is 6ft and under which doesn't include tripping over etc. The commonest type of accident that results in death is falls from step ladders and steps. Even falling over when stepping out the bath produced quite a number of deaths which really surprised me. A big factor in the falls or a trip when getting out of a bath was the bath not being clean making it slippery or not using a clean bath mat in a clean bath.

Also overall the greatest number of deaths came from the head striking the floor or a nearby object, table, bathroom sink, etc, and as above age and co-morbidities played a big part.

In terms of using unsecured ladders, which should only be used for work of short duration, the vast majority of deaths occurred (98%) when taking stupid risks like over stretching out sideways to reach something.

I can't remember the exact figures though. During March I had to go on my yearly Working at Height refresher course and because I'm a window cleaner and I sometimes do work for or on behalf of the council, going on their course is a requirement. It was a day long course and very, very boring.
 
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maximus otter said:
What You Need To Know About Falls From a Height:

Falls from a height can be either accidental or intentional (suicide attempt). There are several prognostic factors for survival that have been identified:
  • Height
  • Age
  • Type of surface
  • Body part that touches the ground first
Two other factors are important, but do not have a significant effect on mortality:
  • Circumstances of the fall (suicide, accident, escape)
  • Initial impact with an object before impacting the ground
Height. Overall, about half of victims die at the scene, and a total of 70% die before they reach the hospital. The median height leading to death is about 49 feet, or about 4 to 5 storeys. 100% of victims die after falling 85 feet, or about 8 storeys.

Age. Mortality increases with age due to pre-existing medical conditions and decreased physiologic reserve.

Type of surface. The type of surface struck (i.e. grass, water, construction debris) can also have an effect on secondary injuries and survival. Mortality after striking a hard surface is nearly double that of hitting a soft one (39% vs 22%)

Body part touching the ground first. The highest mortality is seen when the victim lands in a prone position (57%). Striking head first has the next highest mortality at 44%. The best striking position is feet first, with a mortality of 6%.

Reference:

Crit Care Med 33(6): 1239-1242, 2005.

https://regionstraumapro.com/post/328981320

maximus otter
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I used to know a guy who had worked in the ambulance service who talked about picking people up after falls from a height.

In ambulance parlance, there are two sorts of people after falls: 'flat-heads' and 'short-legs'.

Paramedics always have a dark sense of humour.
 
kesavaross said:
Working at Height refresher course (...) It was a day long course and very, very boring.
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Yes, I did one. Afterwards I felt like jumping off a ladder from a great height.
I think I mentioned it a long time ago previously somewhere.
Our course was delivered by a chap named Gary Neville, which others on the course found highly amusing for some reason.
I had it explained to me that there is some footballing chap of the same name, apparently.
"Just let me clasp my sides firmly to stop them from splitting" I thought.
 
Salmonellus said:
I used to know a guy who had worked in the ambulance service who talked about picking people up after falls from a height.

In ambulance parlance, there are two sorts of people after falls: 'flat-heads' and 'short-legs'.

Paramedics always have a dark sense of humour.
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Various types of railway fatality are noted according to the nature of the interaction between the train and a given human body.
While all such collisions are terrible for all concerned, in terms of dealing with the incident some are certainly worse than others.

Not going into detail here but you can imagine the various categories and what they entail.

You might get a conversation -

'Were you at the fatality yesterday ?'
'Yes, it was a XXXXXer, hadn't seen one before.'
'Oh no. Well at least it would have been quick then.'
 
Erinaceus said:
Even a short fall can be fatal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-65512461

Woman dies falling from mobility scooter​

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Can remember watching a TV series on preventing childhood accidents*, back when my own kids were very young.

One of the points made was that falling headfirst onto a hard surface like a pavement from a height of only two feet would cause the brain to smash again the inside of the skull. This could seriously injure or even kill the person.

Ever since, I've been a bit over-strict about people's bumped heads. Natasha Richardson wouldn't have got past me. :dsist:

*Presented by Jimmy Savile, ooer.
 
escargot said:
At work I use lifts in different parts of the country and have learned which ones benefit from having their doors butched open or closed.
Scares customers! :chuckle:
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My favourite lift's two or three lifts at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital because when you push the buttons, the woman who's blatantly from Birmingham who did the voice recordings says stuff like "Levul too .. gowin dowun!". Being a Brummie myself, that always cheers me up :). Back when I was in a bad way and wandering the hospital corridors (because they're not allowed to stop you if you're classed as mobile), I'd be sedated up to the eyeballs then get in those lifts just to hear her voice.
 
escargot said:
Various types of railway fatality are noted according to the nature of the interaction between the train and a given human body.
While all such collisions are terrible for all concerned, in terms of dealing with the incident some are certainly worse than others.

Not going into detail here but you can imagine the various categories and what they entail.

You might get a conversation -

'Were you at the fatality yesterday ?'
'Yes, it was a XXXXXer, hadn't seen one before.'
'Oh no. Well at least it would have been quick then.'
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When I worked on the railways, dark humour surrounded fatalities and it usually revolved around different foods. Terms like chips with tomato sauce and margarita pizza with pepperoni were common. Another one was sandwich spread on bread. There were other terms which are unsuitable for this board but it was a way for those involved to deal with the aftermath especially with high speed collisions. Those who then had to pick up the bits often spread over a long distance were known as slush puppies.

I always thought it a very strange way to kill ones self. To be hit by a train. Granted, it's quick but is the last thing a person wants to see in this world is a train approaching at speed? And the wait for that approaching train? Very strange.
 
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Trevp666 said:
Yes, I did one. Afterwards I felt like jumping off a ladder from a great height.
I think I mentioned it a long time ago previously somewhere.
Our course was delivered by a chap named Gary Neville, which others on the course found highly amusing for some reason.
I had it explained to me that there is some footballing chap of the same name, apparently.
"Just let me clasp my sides firmly to stop them from splitting" I thought.
Click to expand...
My course was not just like watching paint dry, it was like watching dried paint being dried paint. Even the person taking the course often appeared to be on the verge of sleep as he was reading from the manual. His head kept nodding forwards and his speech would stop for a few seconds before starting again. I think I dozed off a few times for a short time as well.
 
escargot said:
Various types of railway fatality are noted according to the nature of the interaction between the train and a given human body.
While all such collisions are terrible for all concerned, in terms of dealing with the incident some are certainly worse than others.
Click to expand...

l’ve attended the scene very shortly after at least two “explosions” and one very neat “bisection” (lengthways!), and had to “pick up the detritus” after two of the “explosions”.

I can assure you that the events might have been terrible for the deceased, and possibly the train driver, but were the source of great interest and considerable amusement for the police officers involved.

maximus otter
 
kesavaross said:
My course was not just like watching paint dry, it was like watching dried paint being dried paint. Even the person taking the course often appeared to be on the verge of sleep as he was reading from the manual. His head kept nodding forwards and his speech would stop for a few seconds before starting again. I think I dozed off a few times for a short time as well.
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One workplace gave us a couple of pages of instructions with questions at the end. I filled it all in and returned it.

Quoting myself here -

Some employees soon realised that the completed documents were filed away unread and began writing ludicrous replies to the questions, such as -
Q. What should you never do when climbing a ladder?
A. You should never do fewer than 20 star-jumps on the top rung.

Q. If you see a fire burning inside the building, what is the first action to take?
A. Fetch a thick sliced loaf and your toasting fork.

Q. A colleague touches exposed wiring and collapses on the floor. What is likely to have happened?
A. A liquid lunch.
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Herr Cloaca said:
basin
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Over here, I would say "sink", though, to me, both words are interchangeable. If I have a bowl filled with water, I would refer to that as a basin.

It's like the saying "I think s/he brought everything, including the kitchen sink".

I do suspect Mr. P. Dantic might think different. He often magically appears when discussing word usage:)

Now back to topic.
 
maximus otter said:
l’ve attended the scene very shortly after at least two “explosions” and one very neat “bisection” (lengthways!), and had to “pick up the detritus” after two of the “explosions”.

I can assure you that the events might have been terrible for the deceased, and possibly the train driver, but were the source of great interest and considerable amusement for the police officers involved.

maximus otter
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One comment I heard from a copper when the police doctor attended such an 'explosion' to confirm or not the casualty was in a state of deceased and after the enquiry of 'where is the casualty' the dry reply went along the lines of 'over here, and here, and over there and then further over there and then spread out over about quarter of a mile back down the track. With which bit of the dismembered casualty do you want to start with?'
 
escargot said:
Various types of railway fatality are noted according to the nature of the interaction between the train and a given human body.
While all such collisions are terrible for all concerned, in terms of dealing with the incident some are certainly worse than others.

Not going into detail here but you can imagine the various categories and what they entail.

You might get a conversation -

'Were you at the fatality yesterday ?'
'Yes, it was a XXXXXer, hadn't seen one before.'
'Oh no. Well at least it would have been quick then.'
Click to expand...

My father retired from the railway a few years ago. He told me that one of the early rungs on the management ladder was 'Mobile Operations Manager', later changed to 'Field Manager'.

This individual was on call to attend incidents (including but not limited to suicides) on the line at any time of the day or night. In London, where my father worked, each Field Manger would cover an area of about twenty miles, and his task (usually male then) was to facilitate whatever the police and/or emergency services required to get the trains running again A.S.A.P., although he was not permitted to touch the body himself.

The job title, my father opines, was to obfuscate the actual nature of the job and attract candidates for an underpaid and unpleasant rôle; in his words, it was a 'bloody horrible job'.

If there was a suicide or even just body parts on the track, it would be the driver's decision whether to go by or stop the train. The factors he had to consider were simply a) was it safe to do so, b) was the body visible to passengers? In either case, he would contact the next station who would, in turn, contact the Field Manager.

Animals were afforded no such dignities. As a young man my father was issued a shovel and a sack and asked to assist in the removal of an Alsatian that had been 'cooking' for some time on the third rail; he says he has a chemical memory of the smell to this day.
 
Yithian said:
My father retired from the railway a few years ago. He told me that one of the early rungs on the management ladder was 'Mobile Operations Manager', later changed to 'Field Manager.

This individual was on call to attend incidents (including but not limited to suicides) on the line at any time of the day or night. In London, where my father worked, each Field Manger would cover an area of about twenty miles, and his task (usually male then) was to facilitate whatever the police and/or emergency services required to get the trains running again A.S.A.P., although he was not permitted to touch the body himself.

The job title, my father opines, was to obfuscate the actual nature of the job and attract candidates for an underpaid and unpleasant rôle; in his words, it was a 'bloody horrible job'.

If there was a suicide or even just body parts on the track, it would be the driver's decision whether to go by or stop the train. The factors he had to consider were simply a) was it safe to do so, b) was the body visible to passengers? In either case, he would contact the next station who would, in turn, contact the Field Manager.

Animals were afforded no such dignities. As a young man my father was issued a shovel and a sack and asked to assist in the removal of an Alsatian that had been 'cooking' for some time on the third rail; he says he has a chemical memory of the smell to this day.
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Not quite the same but I did a long bike ride years ago in tropical Australia, and even though I haven't the best sense of smell, even I knew when I would be passing the corpse of a mammal from a very long way off, as they'd often been baked in the sun for a while.

Still not as bad as trying to eat a durian, which I've never managed yet, as I retch before I can even get it anywhere near my mouth.
 
Yithian said:
My father retired from the railway a few years ago. He told me that one of the early rungs on the management ladder was 'Mobile Operations Manager', later changed to 'Field Manager.

This individual was on call to attend incidents (including but not limited to suicides) on the line at any time of the day or night. In London, where my father worked, each Field Manger would cover an area of about twenty miles, and his task (usually male then) was to facilitate whatever the police and/or emergency services required to get the trains running again A.S.A.P., although he was not permitted to touch the body himself.

The job title, my father opines, was to obfuscate the actual nature of the job and attract candidates for an underpaid and unpleasant rôle; in his words, it was a 'bloody horrible job'.

If there was a suicide or even just body parts on the track, it would be the driver's decision whether to go by or stop the train. The factors he had to consider were simply a) was it safe to do so, b) was the body visible to passengers? In either case, he would contact the next station who would, in turn, contact the Field Manager.

Animals were afforded no such dignities. As a young man my father was issued a shovel and a sack and asked to assist in the removal of an Alsatian that had been 'cooking' for some time on the third rail; he says he has a chemical memory of the smell to this day.
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My Mum once tried to talk me into taking on that job when I was about 18. She said that the pay was huge but I'd typically be picking up body parts of dead children and suicides from a train track next to the A38 starting in Staffordshire. No thanks.
 
Swifty said:
My Mum once tried to talk me into taking on that job when I was about 18. She said that the pay was huge but I'd typically be picking up body parts of dead children and suicides from a train track next to the A38 starting in Staffordshire. No thanks.
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Yeah, I wouldn't do it either.
 
Swifty said:
My Mum once tried to talk me into taking on that job when I was about 18. She said that the pay was huge but I'd typically be picking up body parts of dead children and suicides from a train track next to the A38 starting in Staffordshire. No thanks.
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Mythopoeika said:
Yeah, I wouldn't do it either.
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Persons of my past and former acquaintance do that job. There are anecdotes galore, the very mildest of which I may have shared.
 
I probably mentioned before my mate who worked for the 'Funeral Directors' which was the company the police called when there were dead bodies to be removed.
So they would get called to all sorts of things in which people had carked it, either at home alone and then been found some time later, or by 'misadventure', or by suicide, or as would happen every now and then back-in-the-day.....terrorist attack by explosive device.
Crikey he had some tales to tell.
One place an old lady had run up the curtains whilst sitting in front of her TV, alone, on a winters day, with a one-bar electric fire nearby, and hadn't been 'discovered' by concerned neighbours until a couple of weeks later. When my mate went to collect the deceased, she was a person shaped pile of maggots.
Also got called to an IRA bombing in which various bits of people were blown over a significant area, including straight up and getting lodged in roof support beams. A cherry-picker was brought in for the inaccessible bits, and the other larger pieces were also collected up. And the police dogs were also brought in (for, er....... clearing up purposes).
 
Trevp666 said:
I probably mentioned before my mate who worked for the 'Funeral Directors' which was the company the police called when there were dead bodies to be removed.
So they would get called to all sorts of things in which people had carked it, either at home alone and then been found some time later, or by 'misadventure', or by suicide, or as would happen every now and then back-in-the-day.....terrorist attack by explosive device.
Crikey he had some tales to tell.
One place an old lady had run up the curtains whilst sitting in front of her TV, alone, on a winters day, with a one-bar electric fire nearby, and hadn't been 'discovered' by concerned neighbours until a couple of weeks later. When my mate went to collect the deceased, she was a person shaped pile of maggots.
Also got called to an IRA bombing in which various bits of people were blown over a significant area, including straight up and getting lodged in roof support beams. A cherry-picker was brought in for the inaccessible bits, and the other larger pieces were also collected up. And the police dogs were also brought in (for, er....... clearing up purposes).
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I can't like that. It must be a harrowing job.
 
brownmane said:
Over here, I would say "sink", though, to me, both words are interchangeable. If I have a bowl filled with water, I would refer to that as a basin.

It's like the saying "I think s/he brought everything, including the kitchen sink".

I do suspect Mr. P. Dantic might think different. He often magically appears when discussing word usage:)

Now back to topic.
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Ahem- yes basin in the bathroom and sink in the kitchen here (although many people do say sink to mean basin).

We say everything but the kitchen sink though.
 
Floyd1 said:
Ahem- yes basin in the bathroom and sink in the kitchen here (although many people do say sink to mean basin).

We say everything but the kitchen sink though.
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Yes. I said "including" but the saying is "but". I use it rarely.
 
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