Relief is an incredible feeling. Whether it’s narrowly avoiding a household accident or clinching a last-minute victory, that surge of relief is hard to beat. This list celebrates those moments—near-death experiences with happy endings. Though the relief might be tempered by the magnitude of what could have been, these events often spark changes that impact how we live today.
10. Broken Trust
The ubiquity of CCTV cameras can feel intrusive, but their capacity to provide evidence and prevent worst-case scenarios is undeniable. A 2017 attempted kidnapping in Auckland, New Zealand, perfectly illustrates this. A couple reported their 11-month-old baby had been abducted from their home in the early hours of the morning. Police swiftly located and returned the infant within hours. The kidnapper was the family’s nanny, Nadene Manukau-Togiavalu, who had concealed her criminal record to secure the job. She’d even staged a fake baby shower with a fake baby-bump in the months leading up to the abduction.
Before widespread security cameras, such a swift resolution would have been unlikely. Manukau-Togiavalu received a 3-year sentence and was later released on parole.
9. Luck Of The Bounce
Even niche interests, like watching building demolitions, can be risky.
A group gathered at a seemingly safe distance to watch an old clothing factory in the Czech Republic get demolished. As the charges detonated, a large piece of masonry flew from the collapsing building, narrowly missing the onlookers. Had it hit someone, it would have been fatal. They were incredibly lucky.
8. Scarily Familiar
While many have criticized the stringent security measures implemented after the 9/11 attacks, these institutions have also foiled numerous terror plots. A chillingly similar plot to 9/11 nearly succeeded in 2019.
Cholo Abdi Abdullah, a Kenyan national, planned to replicate the attack on the Twin Towers. He trained as a pilot in the Philippines, developed hijacking strategies, and possessed bomb-making equipment. He took orders directly from al-Shabaab, an African terror group linked to al-Qaeda.
Thankfully, the plot was uncovered, underscoring the ongoing threat posed by international terror cells.
7. Brotherly Love
We often hear stories of superhuman feats by parents or spouses in crises. But this one might be even more amazing.
Twins Bowdy and Brock Shoff were playing in their bedroom in Orem, Utah, when an IKEA dresser they were climbing toppled over, trapping Bowdy. Brock tried to push the dresser but couldn’t. He then wiggled and pushed, freeing his brother.
Neither boy fully grasped the potential danger. When their mother checked on them, she was unaware of what had happened, they simply carried on playing.
After reviewing the video, the boys’ mother immediately secured the dresser to the wall.
6. The Moon And Khrushchev
Many know the story of Stanislav Petrov, the Soviet submarine officer who averted nuclear war in 1983 by dismissing a false alarm. But decades earlier, the world narrowly avoided nuclear conflict due to an unexpected culprit: the moon.
In 1960, the northern Thule radar system triggered a “high alert” at NORAD, reporting a 99.9% likelihood of a massive Soviet launch.
The flaw? Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev was in New York City at the time. This discrepancy caused doubt, and the Americans cautiously concluded it was a mistake.
A rising “super blood moon” had caused the faulty warning. This incident highlighted the danger of relying solely on machines and led to improvements in warning systems. Adjustments and improvements were made in the wake of this near miss to avoid the scenario of our planet getting annihilated due to the presence of the moon.
5. Jolly Lucky
Spectators at the ‘Jolly Rally’ in Valle d’Aosta, Italy, in 2014 got more excitement than they bargained for when a yellow Renault careened off the track and into the bank where they were standing.
Most dodged out of the way, but some weren’t quick enough. One young woman barely moved. Miraculously, the wrecked car and debris missed her completely.
4. Doctor MacGyver
A medical crisis on a plane, thousands of feet in the air, is a nightmare. A man on a flight from China to New York City experienced just that. Fortunately, Dr. Zhang Hong was on board, equipped with a drinking straw, a syringe, and an oxygen mask. Without them, the man might have died.
The elderly passenger complained of sudden, agonizing pain. Dr. Hong discovered he had a history of prostate enlargement and needed immediate bladder drainage.
With six hours to go before landing, Dr. Hong ingeniously constructed a catheter from the available items, draining nearly a liter of urine from the passenger’s bladder. He used his makeshift device similarly to siphoning gasoline—by sucking and spitting, with a helpful stewardess providing a cup for disposal.
3. The Falling Wife
An even more frightening scenario than a medical emergency on a plane is falling from a plane without a working parachute. Victoria Cilliers faced this exact situation in 2015. As she jumped, she realized her chute was tangled and not opening properly. She spun out of control, plummeting towards the ground.
Ground crew watched helplessly, certain she had died. Her husband, Emile Cilliers, was also sure of her death—because he had sabotaged her chute (and her reserve chute).
Victoria survived because the field she crashed into had been ploughed the day before, softening the impact.
Emile had previously attempted to kill Victoria with a gas leak. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 years to life in prison. Victoria is still trying to move on, but Emile refuses to sign divorce papers, maintaining a degree of control over her life.
2. Not Your Average Car Crash
A car crash turned into a scene reminiscent of a Michael Bay movie in Hurst, Texas, in August 2018.
Residents had complained about dangerous road conditions where cars had flipped over in the past. A driver without a license crashed into the home of Dixie and Charles Bridges. Unbeknownst to everyone at the scene, the car severed the house’s gas line, causing an explosion.
The Bridges and their son were inside, with 61-year-old Dixie trapped under the car. Miraculously, no one died, although the family and two officers were hospitalized.
1. The Drowning Bride
The “trashing the dress” trend involves brides ruining their wedding dresses, often by jumping into water. Amy Zuno, a New Jersey native, participated in this trend after her 2015 wedding in Mexico. She jumped into the sea as guests cheered.
However, the dress quickly became waterlogged, pulling her under. Resort workers and guests rescued her after 25 seconds. Had it taken longer, she would have drowned. In a similar incident in 2012, a woman in Canada drowned while trashing her dress in a river.
Maybe brides should consider super soakers or, perhaps, donating the dress to charity instead?
These stories remind us of the fragility of life and the unexpected ways tragedies can be averted. From quick thinking and technological interventions to sheer luck, these near-misses have left a lasting impact on those involved and sometimes, the world.
What do you think about this list? Leave your comment below!
