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There are moments in life when we all take risks. It could be finally pitching a bold idea to your boss, standing your ground with your in-laws, or doing something that scares you but feels necessary. Some risks help us grow, push boundaries, and lead to great outcomes.
But then there are risks that cross into truly dangerous territory. When someone online asked, “What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?”, the responses ranged from messing with a bull to jumping into a shark tank. These stories are intense, reckless, and sometimes hard to believe. Keep reading to see just how far people have gone and lived to tell the tale.
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#1
Pulled a toddler out of a rip-tide and back to shore at the beach when I was a teenager.
Thank God I was a strong swimmer with water-safety and basic CPR/First Aid training!
RELATED:
#2
Combat Engineer here.
I have found and disarmed 100s of IEDs (Improvised Esplosive Device). Used Metal detectors to find land mines. Used and handled detonation cord and C4.
#3
Flipped while white water rafting and got my head stuck under a rock under the water because of the helmet. My dad eventually grabbed my legs and pulled me out, my life flashed before my eyes and I almost drowned.
As humans, we make decisions constantly, often without even realizing it. From choosing what to wear in the morning to deciding when to catch the bus, our brains are always at work. Some choices are tiny and forgettable. Others are big and life-shaping, like taking out a loan or changing careers. Researchers estimate that the average adult makes around 35,000 decisions every single day. That’s a lot of mental effort. No wonder our brains get tired. And when they do, mistakes are bound to happen.
#4
Firefighter.
I was inside a laundromat that was on fire, and a ceiling full of dryer vents collapsed on me. Imagine being covered in red hot springs and burning wood. That was pretty concerning for a while. Lucky I had a good crew.
#6
When I was 19 I went to a party with 3 girlfriends and 2 guys that were friends with one of the girls. One of the guys drove us there from south Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan.
This guy drove 100 mph on the Belt Pkwy and BQE cutting up traffic, inches away from other cars. I’ve never experienced anything like that. The pit I had in my stomach was literally screaming at me that I was going to die. Being a dumb 19 year old I just sat there and accepted my fate. Somehow we made it. I don’t know how or why we didn’t crash. The way he was driving was like something you’d see in a viral YouTube driving video straight out of Russia.
I found an excuse to leave early and took a yellow cab home with one of the other girls. Uber wasn’t as big then. That was the most cozy and comfy $100 I ever spent.
I’m 29 now and realize how stupid, dangerous, reckless, and just pure evil that kind of driving is.
Mel in Georgia 14 hours ago
Somehow I was selected to drive someone else's manual drive sports car on New Year's Eve in the city and not because I hadn't had a drink. We got to our destination, but when I think back on it, I shake my head at how stupid I was.
Of course, not every decision we make is a good one. Some choices work out beautifully, while others leave us shaking our heads later. These are the decisions that make you replay the moment in your mind at 2 a.m. You wonder what you were thinking. You spot the red flags you somehow missed. Regret sneaks in quietly. We’ve all been there. Bad decisions are part of being human, even if they’re uncomfortable to admit.
#7
When I was in my 20s (f), my car broke down, I was far from home and I looked through my phone and mentally checked off all the people in there, literally over 300 #s, who would not help me. In my head, I couldn't imagine one of my "friends" coming to help me in any situation. 2 men showed up and asked if I needed help. In my desperation and angst for my parents to not find out my car was broken down, again, I accepted. They were very clearly old school GDs on the Southside of Chicago. After they looked at my car they said I needed parts and that they would drive me over to the auto parts store. I got into the car. Immediately after I got into the car, I panicked. I was sitting in the front seat and the friend was sitting behind me. I didn't let on that I was extremely anxious or that I knew I had made a mistake. I just kept my fingers on the door handle and hoped for the best.
They took me to the auto parts store. They even bought the parts, because I'm an idiot 20 something F, with no brains or money. They brought me back to the car and put the parts on and wouldn't give me their phone numbers to pay them back. The only thing I know is that the drivers name was Terry. And that was top 3, the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me and I will never forget him. He told me that he hoped that if his daughter was ever in that situation, that a man would help her just the same. Looking back I'm grateful, but do not get into cars with strangers. Things could have ended very differently.
Mel in Georgia 13 hours ago
Most people are inherently kind. We only hear about the stories that turn out badly.
#8
Back in my younger days I was a TV news videographer. One night there had been a reported shooting in a neighborhood and by the time I got there the cops had looked around, found nothing and were leaving. I still needed footage, but the cops told me that wasn't a good idea to go down those streets. Stupid me went ahead and went on in to get some kind of video so I wouldn't get in trouble with the assignment editor.
I immediately ran into a group of really intimidating people who asking who the hell I was, then proceeded to want me to take video of them, they took me to where the shooting had occurred, pointed out bullet holes in a house and nearby car and really helped me out. In fact, if anything happened again in that area, they would call the newsroom and let them know they wanted me to come and get footage. A couple of them I still talk with all these years later. Even though it worked out for a d*****s like me, I wouldn't recommend anyone else being this foolhardy.
#9
I went to Afghanistan a couple times because my teeth hurt and I couldn't afford to fix them
Edit: To put it differently, I enlisted into the military because I desperately needed dental care.
Mel in Georgia 14 hours ago
Free medical care, subsidized housing, discounted goods and services, free education ... for as conservative population as the military is, there's sure a lot of governmentally provided socialism available to them.
Often, bad decisions start with bad comparisons. Our brains love to compare things because it feels efficient. We judge value based on what’s placed next to what. For example, you might buy an overpriced item because it looks cheaper compared to an even more expensive one. Or you accept a bad job offer because it seems better than your current situation. The comparison skews your judgment. Suddenly, a poor option feels like a smart choice. Context can trick us more than we realize.
#10
Drove while dangerously exhausted and zoned out realized I barely remembered the last few miles. Scared me more than anything extreme.
Mel in Georgia 14 hours ago
Can confirm that fighting to stay awake while driving is terrifying. And stupid. And my husband tells a story about ending up off the side of the road after an overnight trip. Just pull over and nap!
#11
When I (f) was in my early 20’s, I was walking home from work and I got in a car with five random guys in a convertible. I had to sit on the middle console. A cup pulled us over and asked what we were doing, they said “taking her home” he said “no you’re not, get in my car”, and the police officer took me home.
#12
A friend managed a restaurant, and one of his employees went to prison. He knew the employee had a bunch of dogs and lived alone; none of employee’s friends/family would take care of the dogs in his absence. I was a naive, idealistic 20something female who did a lot of animal rescue and wanted to save the dogs from starvation, so I got the address and went. It was a very bad neighborhood. I didn’t bring anyone with me or carry any sort of protection, not even mace. There were a bunch of barking pit bulls in a fenced area behind his house, and this area was only accessible from inside the house. So I climbed on top of a trash can and hopped the fence to feed/water them. I did this every night for a couple of weeks until a family member stepped in and took the dogs. In retrospect, this could have ended very badly!
Riley Quinn 12 hours ago
It certainly could've, but imagine how you'd feel knowing those poor innocent dogs were starving. That's all the motivation it would take for me to jump a fence in a bad neighborhood.
Multitasking is another sneaky culprit behind bad decisions. We like to believe we’re great at doing many things at once. In reality, our attention is just bouncing around. Imagine replying to emails while cooking and making financial decisions at the same time. Something is bound to slip. Details get missed. Judgment gets rushed. When focus is divided, decision quality usually drops. Being busy doesn’t always mean being effective.
#13
Decided to try swimming in the Everglades(Florida swampland for those out of USA), within range of multiple crocodilians, and if it weren't for my dad saving me at 6yr old, I would probably be gator chow.
I'm also banned from SeaWorld because at 7yrs old I jumped into a shark tank because "I wanted to pet the bite fish".
Bi.Felicia 14 hours ago
The 6 year old story I definitely can see happening, but getting banned from SeaWorld at 7, for jumping into a shark tank, seems a bit fishy to me. Honestly I would think that the tank wouldn't be easily accessible by the general public and who was the kid with, who was responsible for him? I've also never heard a 7 year old refer to a shark as a "bite fish?" Sounds like a croc of shît.
#14
Had a an event that ran late so had to drive solo to a rave a couple of my friends went to. It was about an hour and half drive from our school.
Rave finished up and we didn't have anywhere to stay or meet anyone so me and another 2 people decided to head back to school. I was driving by myself and I had been responsible in terms of not drinking but I had also only slept like 2hrs the night before finishing an assignment.
Fell asleep at the wheel for a minute or two. Woke up to the other car blaring their horn and my cellphone ringing.
Apparently had drifted across multiple lanes. Really lucky I didn't crash. Sleep deprivation and driving is stupid
I have done a lot of dangerous things like sky diving, white water rafting in inadequate vessels, jumping cliffs on skis, etc. That was still the most dangerous thing.
Riley Quinn 11 hours ago
I've stupidly driven while exhausted, but there's a big difference in doing dangerous things that put your life at peril and dragging innocent victims into it. I pulled onto the shoulder with my hazard lights on and took a nap bc my life wasn't the only one to consider.
#15
Night jump with the 82nd Airborne
NODS’s went out before the jump
My main parachute didn’t deploy and there I was free falling for what felt like for ever not knowing how my body was positioned to pull my emergency
So I told myself “Mom & Dad I’m sorry”, I pulled my emergency. It became tangled a little bit but I was able to rustle myself free before hitting the ground
2 ruptured discs, nerve damage in my Knee/Ankles/Hip, concussion & a dislocated shoulder……….oh and three years to fight the VA on “not service related”.
Then there’s decision fatigue. Making choices all day slowly drains your mental energy. By the time evening rolls around, even small decisions feel overwhelming. That’s when impulse takes over. You order takeout instead of cooking. You agree to things you normally wouldn’t. Your brain just wants relief. Decision fatigue doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means your brain is tired from working nonstop. And tired brains don’t always choose wisely.
#16
I tried swimming through an underwater cave at dusk. It would have been dangerous during the day but it was almost impossible to see the tunnel path.
#17
Helicopter Underwater Evacuation Course.
I've done the course a few times, it's a job requirement. The first time I did it, I almost drowned.
The helicopter went in the water, flipped upside down, and I couldn't undo the seat belt, I signalled to the instructor, he gave it a quick go but couldn't either. He went straight to the seat release, which he couldn't undo so went back to the surface to signal the other instructors. The entire rig was hoisted out the water with me still in the seat. The entire process was probably around 30 seconds but I've never felt closer to death in my life.
Upstaged75 11 hours ago
One of my coworkers was a helicopter pilot in the Navy and she talked about this one. It sounds horrifying.
#18
I knowingly penetrated a shipwreck on less than a quarter of my air supply while scuba diving. Our Dive Master didn’t clarify my danger signal and signalled me with the OK, so I thought it was going to be a very quick tour and I was being overly anxious.
I ran out of air in the control deck by myself and had to swim a mud-occluded hallway to find him in the main hold of the ship so I could Buddy breathe on our ascent. We had to do a 5 minute decompression at 5 meters and I had to watch his BAR drop as we both drank from his tanks. I wasn’t scared going in, but I had to work really hard to take calm breaths for the whole ascent out of the wreck. Very stupid on my part to not listen to my own training and surface before penetration.
Mel in Georgia 14 hours ago
My weight belt dropped on a group drift dive (strong currents driving us along). Luckily I was next to a wall and desperately grabbed on to prevent a dangerous quick ascent until my husband noticed my distress and grabbed me. We were in the back of the group and there was no dive master behind us. Worst diving experience ever. Always go with a reputable, A+ PADI rated dive center.
Past experiences also shape how we decide, sometimes in unhelpful ways. A bad experience can leave a strong emotional mark. If something went wrong before, your brain tries to protect you from repeating it. But that fear can cloud judgment. You might avoid good opportunities because they resemble past failures. Or you overcorrect and take unnecessary risks. Our memories don’t just inform decisions. They influence them emotionally, too.
#19
I used to hitchhike almost every day as a teenager. I was a reasonably attractive skinny girl. I’m amazed I lived through my teens.
Mel in Georgia 13 hours ago
My friend and I, 2 young women, traveled across the US in the early 80s. No cell phones, camped out, relied on strangers' generosity at times ... can't imagine doing this now. At least we weren't hitchhiking!
#20
Grew up on a dairy farm. I walked across the cow pond one afternoon in early March. Very little snow, maybe 35 out. Lucky I didn't break the ice.
Riley Quinn 11 hours ago
Growing up in a farm community, we did a lot of stupid, dangerous stuff, but the parents reinforced so adamantly to never trust ice after a warm period that none of us did. Probably the only time a group of kids actually obeyed the rules in unison.
#21
I have several, but this one was dumb. Friend had a body shop. We took a huge balloon and filled it with acetylene wrapped it in newspapers and stuffed it in a cardboard box. Went behind a shopping mall theater and lit it. Btw, I worked there. The resulting explosion shook the building so hard that one of the sinks fell off the wall. The cop who was security there came flying out and was all excited and wanted to know how we did it. Then he remembered he was a cop and told us not to do that again. Our ears were ringing so loud that he was hard to hear. It was days before I got my hearing back. Yes, I’m GenX.
Finally, individual differences matter more than we think. Personality, stress levels, upbringing, and even sleep all affect how we decide. Some people are naturally cautious. Others are more impulsive. Neither is always right or wrong. What matters is awareness. Understanding how your own brain works helps you pause before reacting. Better decisions often start with knowing yourself. And that’s something worth practicing every day.
#22
Cycled in London. I thought I was being sporty, frugal, efficient. It was cheaper, nicer, sportier, healthier. Lost a leg and nearly my life.
#23
I flew below the rim of the Grand Canyon once. That's almost certainly illegal but I didn't check. YOLO!
I crash landed a plane in a farmer's field and walked away. (different flight)
Scuba diving I got turned around and went below the recreational dive limit (130 feet). That one was dicey.
Got stuck in a blizzard in Canada at -40C and walked a couple miles towards the highway before I got tired and decided to lay down for a nap (farmer pulled me out of the the ditch and defrosted me).
Weirdly still alive. I still have all my toes too.
In life, it’s important to pause and think before making decisions, rather than rushing on autopilot. Taking a moment to reflect helps you weigh the options, consider the consequences, and separate impulse from logic. To make better choices, we must slow down, stay mindful of our emotions, and look at the bigger picture. It’s not about overthinking every little thing, but about giving yourself the space to decide intentionally, rather than letting habits or pressure dictate your actions.
#25
Worked on live electric circuits. It's one of those things where if you get shocked it's like 80-90% of the time, you're fine. But that other time is where it can cause fibrillation, which can often be minor enough to not notice until you go into cardiac arrest.
No matter what the old sparkies tell you, don't work on live circuits without proper PPE.
Forrest Hobbs 11 hours ago
Old sparkies tell you to take multiple precautions to 1) ensure the circuit is off and 2) test to really make sure it's off and 3) take other precautions to make sure it's not going to be accidentally turned back on.
#27
This isn’t nearly as crazy as the other stories on this thread, but i dated an a*****e narcissist. can’t tell you how many times i’d had a gun or knife held to me while he was in a drunken/high stupor. it’s been 8 years since i left and i’m still working through all the mental and physical gymnastics he put me through.
#28
Cleared for Visual Flight Rules, I accidently flew into cloud in a Cessna 172 shortly after takeoff from a busy International Airport.
It was an instant and complete white out. (Imagine going down the highway in your car at 80 mph and driving into a solid fog bank wall. Except that you're in the air)
I couldn't even see the propeller in front of me.
My mind convinced me that I was still holding the plane straight and level as I strained to see any break whatsoever in the clouds ahead.
It was maybe only one or two minutes before I heard the sound of the engine oddly accelerating.
I broke my attention from the windows to look down at the instrument panel which was telling me that I was in a 30 degree banked dive. Despite no formal IFR training, I forced myself to trust the instruments instead of what my head and body were telling me, and managed to bring the wings back to level.
Just as the tower was calling me to ask if "everything was, um, OK up there?", I spotted a hole in the clouds and the the color of lush green fields below. I pointed the plane towards it and popped right out.
Shaken, I requested clearance to land, making for a very short trip. I learned a valuable lesson about weather flying.
I learned later that the average VFR pilot lasts 90 seconds after flying into cloud before k*****g themselves.
Mel in Georgia 13 hours ago
Always trust your instruments. We're not really made to operate in an unrestricted 3-D environment.
#29
Nurse here. I used to work at a Level 1 trauma center in a city in the ICU. I had a patient who was affiliated with a gang and his brother came in to visit during my first shift with the patient. Patient wasn’t going to recover and the brother refused to believe it. While I was alone in the room with the patient and the brother, the brother started telling me “you better f*****g save him or I’ll slice your throat.” I was so burned out and depressed working this job that my response was “you know what? You’d be doing me a favor. I get off work at 7:30 tonight. I drive (this color car) and (this sticker) is on my rear windshield. I’m parked in (this garage) at the intersection of (this street and this street) on the 3rd level. I’ll see you then.” Management freaked out when they heard what I did and said and insisted I have security drive me to my vehicle after work. I said “nope. He won’t show.” And he didn’t.
I also was going on a first date with someone after that shift. I texted him about an hour before the end of my shift and said “hey, if I don’t show, I didn’t ghost you. I’m probably dead.” And when I got to said date, he was very intrigued to hear the story behind that text.
What do you think ?
Multa Nocte 29 minutes ago
There are a lot of brave, selfless people out there who work hard to take care of the rest of us when we get in trouble. We all owe a sincere debt to them. Then there are the people who put themselves in stupid situations and endanger others, especially those who, against their best interests and personal safety, will try to save/protect them. My heart goes out to all those who unselfishly try to help us, and my disgust and shame goes out to those who are stupid enough to put themselves in such stupid situations, which then endangers others. Be a moron if you want, but don't take others out with you.
Multa Nocte 29 minutes ago
There are a lot of brave, selfless people out there who work hard to take care of the rest of us when we get in trouble. We all owe a sincere debt to them. Then there are the people who put themselves in stupid situations and endanger others, especially those who, against their best interests and personal safety, will try to save/protect them. My heart goes out to all those who unselfishly try to help us, and my disgust and shame goes out to those who are stupid enough to put themselves in such stupid situations, which then endangers others. Be a moron if you want, but don't take others out with you.
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