Death by Misadventure: 210 Dumb Ways to Die (8 page)

181. Guns Really Do Kill.
John Murray, 46, was killed by his Chinese lightweight
semi-automatic rifle. The gun was billed as, “The Cowboy’s
Companion.” Murray was loading the weapon on a table at his gun
club when it started to fire several shots. Not having a proper
grip on the rifle meant that Murray could not control the recoil.
The gun jumped off the table firing one of the bullets into
Murray’s back causing fatal injuries. The gun finally came to rest
under the tire of Murray’s truck. More than two years after
Murray’s death, his family agreed to a settlement of $1.4 million
from the companies who imported and sold the
weapon.
San Jose Mercury News, January
8, 1993

182. Dead Lift.
David Busby, 29, died trying to get into shape. Busby and a friend
had just assembled a new multi-station home gym that uses heavy
rubber straps to transform body weight into usable muscle building
resistance. Busby began experimenting with the system after his
friend left and somehow got his chest stuck between one the straps
and the hardware. Busby was unable to resist the pressure for long
and suffocated.
Saint Paul Pioneer
Press, August 8, 1995

183. Australian Rules.
More than 20 Australians have killed themselves fishing in 1995 and
1996. Most of the deaths have been along the treacherous pacific
coast of New South Wales, near Sydney. “It’s amazing how you can
get carried away by fishing and just forget about the basic
elements of common sense,” commented a local police officer.
“You’ve got to check out the tides, the weather conditions, wear
the right shoes – essential conditions like that.” Few people
survive after they are swept into the ocean and dashed against the
rocks by the beautiful yet deadly surf.
New York Times, February 16, 1997

184. Water Hazard.
Two men drowned at Toronto area golf courses in two separate
incidents during July 1996. Both men were commercial divers
involved in salvaging golf balls from water hazards. Retrieved golf
balls sell for about $1 each.
Toronto
Star, July 26, 1996

185. Wing Nuts.
On April 11, 1996, Lloyd Dubroff of Pescadero, California, died as
his light plane was taking off into bad weather in Cheyenne,
Wyoming. Dubroff's 7 year old daughter, Jessica, was at
the controls. Also in the plane was Jessica's flight instructor,
Joe Reid. The trio were trying to break the record for youngest
pilot to fly across the United States. Only bad weather interfered
with the mother's plans to have Jessica’s 9 year old
brother, Joshua, perform a fly-over during Jessica's backyard
funeral service.
New York Times, April
16, 1996

186. Rocketchute for Sale
.
Scott Overacker, 39, was the 5
^th
person to die trying to beat
Niagara Falls. The California stuntman’s plan was to go over the
falls on a jet-ski then activate his rocket/parachute which would
lift him up and allow a controlled descent to safety. Overacker’s
parachute, however, did not open and he fell 180 feet to his death.
Police describe the fall, “like hitting cement.” Several people in
the weekend crowd caught the failed stunt on
video.
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer,
October 2, 1995

187. Record Carelessness.
Steve Eidekin, 20, died flying a kite. The California college
student was trying to break the world’s record for the largest kite
when he launched his 14,000 square-foot kite. Unfortunately,
Eidekin’s leg got tangled in the line and he was taken aloft. A
college spokesperson explained, “It was a freak accident. He got
free ... but he could not hold on.” Eidekin was pronounced dead on
arrival at a Long Beach hospital.
Miami Herald, September 25, 1983

188. Grand Entrance/Exit.
Freshman football player, Brian Spruill, 17, died rushing to a team
meeting at Bethany College, West Virginia. Spruil mistook a window
for an open door and ran through it. A piece of the plate glass
window tore through his chest and stabbed him in the heart. Spruil
died of his injuries the following day.
Associated Press, October 9, 1984

189. Human Lobster
.
The body of an unidentified California diver was discovered by a
fisherman entangled in the line from one of his lobster traps. The
man apparently got separated from his diving buddy with less than
15 minutes of air in his tank and somehow got ensnared in the line
between the trap and its bright styrofoam
marker.
Los Angeles Times, October 11,
1987

190. Gonzo Self Destructo.
Bow hunter, Leroy Kassman, 43, killed himself deer hunting.
Kassman, alone at the time, apparently was climbing up an incline
holding one of his 3 remaining arrows when he slipped and fell,
stabbing himself in the chest. Kassman bled to death before his
brother and friend found him the following
day.
St. Louis Post Dispatch, October
27, 1994

191. Mountain Falling.
Two British mountain climbers fell 3,000 feet to their deaths when
they stopped to have their photo taken on Europe's tallest
mountain, the Aiguille Bionassy, on the Italian French border.
Mark Haseler and Clare Kempster were tied together with a third
climber who untied himself to take the picture. The two climbers,
in their 30's, fell when Kempster slipped trying to retrieve her
backpack that was sliding down the mountain. A British climbing
expert commented, "It is quite a straightforward climb for
experienced mountaineers; but like any mountain, it is a very
serious place to be."
Independent,
July 24, 1997

192. Bench Wacker.
Michael Wacker, 14, was killed by a bench. Wacker and two friends
were watching a local baseball game in Syracuse when they decided
to rock the bench they were sitting on. The bench toppled onto
Wacker causing fatal head injuries.
Wichita Eagle, June 19, 1993

193. Deadly Dismount.
Robert Balbirer, 48, was killed after leaving a Baltimore Orioles
baseball game. The elevator in an area parking garage became stuck
between floors. Balbirer and the other passengers did not heed the
instructions of the police dispatcher to stay put until help
arrived. The doors were pried open and a number of passengers
jumped safely to the floor below. Balbirer lost his balance upon
landing and fell backwards down the elevator shaft, landing in the
basement 2 floors below.
Baltimore
Morning Sun, September 8, 1995

194. Hall of Shame.
Brooklyn baseball player, Micael Marano, 12, is the only person on
record having been killed by a pitching machine. Marano suffered a
fatal heart attack when he was hit by the final pitch of his
practice session. Marano apparently twisted too far while trying to
hit an inside pitch, exposing his chest to the fast moving
baseball.
Phoenix Gazette, June 30,
1994

Death Takes A
Holiday

195. Say Grated Cheese!
Timothy Rowe, 24, of Madison, Wisconsin, died having his photograph
taken. Rowe was standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon for a
souvenir snapshot when he slipped and fell to his
death.
New York Times, November 11,
1993

196. Expensive View.
A US Navy dental technician died trying to maximize her view of the
Atlantic Ocean. Susan Swanson, 25, was leaning over the balcony of
her sixth floor hotel room when she fell 60 feet to the
parking lot below.
Miami Herald,
February 20, 1990

197. Ship of Fool(s).
Vacationing engineer, Timothy Dyer, 25, died when he could not find
the cruise ship's pool. After several drinks, Dyer climbed a pole
and attempted to dive into the pool. He crashed into the deck just
2 feet shy of his target.
Miami
Herald, February 20, 1984

198. Deadly Demonstration.
James
Bagby, 21, showed his friends what could happen to them if they
weren’t careful around the waterfall near his family’s favorite
vacation spot. According to the Sheriff’s Department, Bagby slipped
and plunged 100 feet to his death after warning his friends to be
careful because they were about to cross “a bad
spot.”
Charlotte Observer, August 3,
1987

199. Buy the Postcard Instead.
A 70 year old tourist, Ingrid Mason, fell 300 feet to her
death. The elderly woman was trying to climb the Huana Picchu peak
overlooking the Inca Ruins of Machu Picchu near
Cuzco,Peru.
Reuters, April 4,
1997

200. Uphigh, Downunder.
The
spring of 1989 was a deadly season for Australia’s booming balloon
industry with four accidents causing 17 deaths. Three people were
electrocuted when their balloons came into contact with power
lines. A fourth died from her injuries when she jumped out of the
same balloon and fell 100 feet. Thirteen others plummeted 3,000
feet after two balloons collided. As a result of the accidents, the
government ordered a review of safety standards in the industry,
which had grown from 3 to 163 balloons in just four
years.
Reuters, October 15,
1989

201. Death is Cheap.
Daniel Gutierres, 37, gave his life trying to save 5 bucks.
Gutierres was visiting friends in St. Paul, Minnesota, when he dove
from a paddleboat to retrieve a $5 bill. Gutierres was with his
13 year old friend when the boy's money blew out of the
boat. Although Gutierres was not wearing his life jacket and could
not swim, he went after the money anyway. When Gutierres got into
trouble the boy threw the Gutierres both life jackets. Gutierres
was unable to grab either and went under before rescue personnel
arrived. The boy retrieved the $5 bill as it floated by during the
search for Gutierres' body.
St. Paul
Pioneer Press, July 17, 1997

202. Flipping Fatality.
Chad Hughes, 18, was looking forward to graduation and a
scholarship to Arizona State University when he died showing off to
friends in a Mexican bar. Hughes performed a series of back flips
across the room before he fell on his head, severing his spinal
cord and cracking his skull. Hughes died from a heart attack while
being treated for his injuries. Hughes’ mother said that she always
told Chad not to do those back flips but her son was a, "party,
party, fun type kid. He had a great life, and he died having
the fun he always did.”
Arizona
Republic, May 30, 1991

203. Grave Mistake.
Twenty one year old, Raymond Jones, buried himself
alive playing at the beach on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. The
computer-engineering student was sitting at the bottom of the
9 foot hole that he had dug when the hole collapsed. Jones
body was recovered about one hour later through the frantic efforts
of bystanders who used their hands, shovels and a backhoe. "Ever
since he was little he always dug holes – just never that deep,"
said Jones' mother.
Washington Post,
August 9, 1997

204. Pier Pressure.
Merette Whelan, 17, of Cork, Ireland, was enjoying her first summer
as a high school graduate when she fell to her death. Late one
night, Whelan was sitting on a pier and asked a friend for a
hand up when her foot got caught in a mooring ring and she
fell backwards off the pier, pulling the friend with her. Whelan
fell into rocks 14 feet below while the other girl escaped
serious injury because she fell into deeper
water.
Irish Times, August 19,
1996

Deadly Pets

205. Beware of Dog.
Mark Russell, 24, drowned trying to rescue his dog after it fell
through thin ice on an Ontario lake in late January. Russell's
stepfather then drowned trying to save Russell. The dog swam safely
to shore.
Toronto Star, January 23,
1996

206. Once Bit, Twice Die.
Joe Peters, 23, had his throat ripped out by his roommate's two
bull terriers. Peters was still recovering from the last time the
dogs attacked him. A month earlier, he was hospitalized for 12 days
with a punctured lung and bites to his arms and legs. On the night
of his death, Peters had recovered enough to resume his past time
of drinking then taunting and kicking the
dogs.
Toronto Star, August 16,
1995

207. Sssam Wantsss A Sssnack!
In Commerce City, Colorado, a 15 year old boy was found
strangled to death. The culprit was found nearby – his older
brother's 11½-foot Burmese python. The family was shocked because
the cold blooded carnivorous reptile had never been
"aggressive" before.
New York Times,
July 22, 1993

208. Maxed Out.
William Roach, 58, replaced his Rottweiler with a more ferocious
dog after it allowed a robbery of Roach's home in Manchester,
England. Unfortunately, the new Alsatian, Max, was just a little
too ferocious. Max attacked and killed Roach because he moved the
dog's food bowl. Roach had been warned about Max's attachment to
his bowl by the dog's previous owner. Roach bled to death after the
dog tore an artery in his leg during the
attack.
Independent, June 19,
1991

209. Historic Encounter.
Richard Oley, 65, was butted to death by a ram while out for a walk
in the country. The bookstore owner died from massive injuries to
his upper body. The coroner ruled the death a misadventure
explaining, "It has not been known in the history of agriculture
for such an event to take place. It was therefore an unique and,
hopefully, isolated event."
Independent, February 7, 1991