CB HI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_injury

"Fatal stings are very rare, but can happen"

phoebeisis

The "sting" venom- didn't kill him
it was the spear through the chest-big blood vessels-massive trauma-
The below is a cut saying just that- about the poor aussie
Fatal stings are very rare, but can happen,[3] infamously including Steve Irwin. In this case, the stinger penetrated the thoracic wall, causing massive trauma.[10]


PS I'm more sympathetically disposed toward the Aussie than the whiny drama queen Brit with the minor scrape-
He immediately called in the cameras to show how macho he was.
man up-get a light -and slow down at night
Can't believe he actually said he "saw his life flash before his eyes" or something like that.
Minor spill-no cars involved-bumped off his bike and he thinks he is going to die??
What a freakin wimp!

1989Pre 

I hope that un-announced speed bumps on descents do not become something that is used in the U.S. I had not heard of them being used in this manner. Had anyone else?

Miele Man

When I lived in Toronto, Cqanada and worked in Scarborough, (next to toronto proper) I used to commute home via a series of trails in the parks system. One evening a dusk I'm flying along at my 30+ kph speed when I noticed a brand new unpainted speed bump just ahead of me. It was to late to brake for it so I bunny hopped over it. Turns out that during the day the parks department had put in speed bumps all along all those paths. Someone riding without good lights at night could very easily hit one of those bumps and crash.

Cheers

phoebeisis

Are were the paths in Toronto multi use-meaning pedestrians?


If you just get off the seat -light grip on bars-no reason you can't retain control over a speed bump hit straight on

In any case the "life before his eyes thinking he was going to die" a bit over the top-slow down get a light

wphamilton

Yep. I took a random side street to a neighborhood I wasn't familiar with, at the bottom of a rather large hill there was a huge speed bump. No warning whatsoever, the only hint I might have had was the country club golf course beside the road.

There were no bunny-hopping heroics or other drama on my part btw, because I'm too chicken to bomb down a hill I don't know in a residential area.

phoebeisis

Speed bump signs aren't usually very visible-just one more sign everyone ignores
They are SUPPOSED to be engineered to annoy a speeding driver(rough ride)-not cause him to lose control

Reynolds 

I had a similar crash some years ago. Was going about 30kph on a slight downhill at night, reached for my water bottle, hit an unmarked speed bump, handlebar turned, bam! Consequences were a lot of road rash and a sore arm for a week. I didn't thought I was going to die though, or see my life flash before my eyes.

RISKDR1

overriding ones abilities and experience. Most experienced riders know how to unweight over a speed bump and let your legs be suspension. I imagine he was sitting hard on the saddle when he hit that bump and it launched him. He probably learned something though. They call that "negative reinforcement". Thankfully he will be ok. It could have been a lot worse.

fietsbob

Michael Schumacher, Also quite wealthy, was wearing a Helmet, Too, when he had a Skiing accident.

phoebeisis

Yeah he hit a rock I think
skiing at maybe 50-60 mph
He is "still alive" I think but severely brain damaged-horrible-healthy young well insured so he will remain "alive" for a long time

Sonny Bono- one of the "bad Kennedy males "-and that famous actress also were killed in skiing accident

KingCat

perfect example of how the helmet saved his life but couldn't save his lifestyle. that's the problem many times. people don't understand that living after a serious head injury sometimes isn't what you want.

905

Branson must hold the record for highly publicized near-death experiences.

What, no picture of the smashed or at least bruised helmet? I don’t quite understand how a helmet saved his life. He hit his cheekbone.

Anyway, I guess he took that lecture from the cop in Australia to heart.

Milton Keynes

Waiting for the inevitable comments on how helmets don't make you safer and cause accidents by giving you a false sense of security.

KD5NRH

Meh. Only reason I don't have a few dangerous hobbies is lack of funds. Give me a tenth of his money and I'll have at least one experimental aircraft, a wingsuit, sailboat, etc. and likely get myself into some trouble with them from time to time.

jefnvk

Not necessarily. There was a kid that got punched in the head outside a bar I frequented a few years back. He went home, was fine and talking with people, went to bed and they found him dead the next morning, autopsy showed unnoticed internal bleeding caused it.

So many conflicting stories right now, I doubt anyone truly knows his condition other than close family. I've heard everything from near death to walking over the past few months, there is nothing official. But yeah, your point that sometimes surviving it is worse is well taken, the point doesn't much sway me that it is a bigger risk than a minor spill remaining nothing more than an embarassment.