TRUE HORRIFYING STORIES - Have you got any?

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:41 am

My true horrifying story happened in the late 80s -

We used to be the proud owners of a charter/trip boat, licensed to carry 100 fare-paying passengers. This was in the 80s and 90s, and we traded on the River Trent at Nottingham, England. We used to do a lot of private charter cruises, some in the day but most in the evenings, and we did public one hour cruises at weekends in the daytime. Our operating jetty was near Trent Bridge at the edge of the city, but we preferred not to leave our boat over-night on that jetty to avoid vandalism, so we rented a mooring further down river adjacent to a marina.

After one evening charter we had cleared up the boat ready for the following day's trade, the crew had left to go home and my husband (the skipper) and I took the boat back to it's moorings down river. It was uneventful, as usual, and as we neared the point where we turned above the river lock to come back up river to make an up river landing on our mooring, Chris (my hubby) put the throttle/gear lever into neutral, waited for the revs. to drop, then moved the lever into reverse to slow the boat ready for the turn. Although the revs. died as they should have and the lever engaged reverse, when the revs.were increased to give reverse thrust - there was no change to the vessels speed. Ah, something was caught on the prop blades, like a piece of polythene, or some submerged rope. Chris put the vessel into forward again, then back into reverse, revving the engine, to give the props more umph, to throw off what had been caught on them. Still, no reduction in speed, and the turning point was getting very close. Chris repeated this action three or four more times, then whatever it was caught on the props must have been thrown free and Chris got speed control back, so he was able to make the turn just in time, and make a perfectly controlled landing against our mooring. We had never before experienced such a bad 'jamming' of the props. Oh we used to get things caught on the props quite often, but there had never been such a problem to clear the props as that. We put it down to a submerged bush or part of a tree even.

We never gave it another thought, till the next day when we heard our local radio lunchtime news bulletin.

Apparently, the headless body of a man had just been found in the river against the sluice gates, adjacent to the lock !

Two days before our props 'incident', a man was seen to jump off the Suspension Bridge, which was just upriver from Trent Bridge. Although the police underwater search team had been searching the vicinity, most of the first day, no body was found.

We knew that in cases like that, the body would sink and be washed downstream by the river current and it would be a couple of days before the body came to the surface, and by that time it would either fetch up at the lock gates, the sluices or be drawn through the canoe slalom course and come out below the lock, then carry on down river.

Chris and I looked at each other as soon as this news item came on the radio. The horrifying thought - it all fitted, time wise, and the body would not quite be floating on the surface. Chris was the only one who truly knew how tough it had been to free the prop the previous night ! He had said that the props suddenly came free.

Probably the worst thing about all this was that the fella who had thrown himself into the river turned out to be the ex-boyfriend of one of the girls who worked behind the bar on our boat ! But to this day, we have never told her what had happened that night on the return to our mooring.

The boat in my signature, is our lovely charter/trip boat.

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:45 am

Ewwww now that is nasty!

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:54 am

Whew! Now that was a nasty story. If I were in your shoes, I would never breath a word.

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:00 am

Well qsducks, it was all circumstantial, and nothing can be proved. However, the coincidence is amazing if it was not us !

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:34 am

:wah: After reading it again, I was about to lose my lunch

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:10 am

Sorry, qsducks, but I did say it was a horrifying true story ! Not the sort of thing either that you should read just before going to bed ! :wah:

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:11 am

Hahaha or before taking a nice relaxing boat trip!

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:28 am

Wow now that is one scary story, I'm so glad that no-one ended up getting hurt or killed at all!!

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:29 am

We did have a spot of bother after the Herald of Free Enterprise tragedy when the bow doors were not closed as she left port. People are quite strange really ! We were on a non-tidal part of the River Trent on an inland waterway - not at sea !:-5

:wah:

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:43 am

What happened afterwards, are you able to say?

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:54 am

That's good to hear at least that all ended well. I couldn't begin to imagine how worried you must have been at a time like that, must have been awful!

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:57 am

These stories are facinating and truly horrifying thanks for sharing them with us:-6

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:43 pm

RJ What a dreadful and frightening experience ! I'm so glad you let us know that it had a reasonable ending after all that.

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:59 pm

Well it's nowhere near as scary as yours RJ, but I suppose this would be mine.

About 5 years ago when I had just turned 18 I was scheduled to have an eye operation, because I had a bad right eye. I had prepared myself for days and weeks for it, but even on the morning I couldn't help but worry myself silly. Now the experts said that there was a small (and I mean small,) chance that something could go wrong, and me being me, I of course thought it would happen to me.

Anyway when surgery time came I said goodbye to my dad who had drove me to the hospital and went in. The next thing I remember was not being able to see and having no idea where I was. I tell you I was petrified!

I then heard my dad's voice and he told me not to worry that the surgery had already finished and that it was a complete success. I was delighted that it had happened so quickly, but stil couldn't get over the fact that I couldn't see. I already knew that I was supposed to have my eyes taped up for a few days until things sorted themselves out, but actually hearing that said and then having it done to you is another thing.

In the end I had about 10 days of no eyes, and thank goodness for my family being there, because it was tough, and one only knows how blind people get through their lives. After those days were up I was able to take the bandages off and slowly get back to some kind of normality, but that was undoubtedly my scariest moment of my life to date!

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:10 pm

Thank you!

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:22 pm

Good story Chris, how are the eyes now? Hopefully you now feel it was worthwhile, although I can imagine the fear you had at the time.

:-4

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:27 pm

They are better now yes thanks, though there is a chance that over time they could go back to being as before, in which case I could have another operation, but after the last experience I couldn't tell. Mind you that is hopefully a LONG, LONG time away yet!!

kinks · Post by **kinks** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:27 pm

Wow great stories, but Gill....as horrified as i was about your story, i was slightly relieved in a way, cos i had a feeling you might say about a baby....that sounds a bit B****y doesn't it, but i think it would have been worse

i'll be quiet now

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:44 pm

Don't worry, if it had been a baby, I certainly wouldn't have wanted to ever talk about it , let alone put about it on here !

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:20 am

Now this following 'story' is perfectly true, but is so amazing, it is difficult to believe ! When you've read it perhaps you have had a similar experience, or you may know somebody who has, well maybe you could tell us about it.

Many years ago I used to play electric guitar and sing in a band, playing at gigs in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire. One night we had a gig at Stamford in Lincolnshire which finished at midnight, so by the time we'd packed all our gear into our cars and changed from our stage clothes it was nearly 1.00 am before I set off home. It was a really foul night weather wise, the Heavens had opened and the rain was like a tropical monsoon. I came out of Stamford and got onto the A1 northbound, there was nobody else in the car. I turned off the A1 onto the A52 at Grantham and travelled towards Nottingham. At this point a terrific thunderstorm had developed, and there was so much lightning that the darkness of the night was turned into constant daylight. The rain was still torrential and my speed was no more than 35 mph, it just wasn't safe to go any faster. I thought ' well I ain't going to get home till nearer 2.30 am at this rate ' so i settled down for a slow drive home. The whole spectacle of the storm was truly amazing. There was very little traffic on the road which was a relief, but, as the road was swimming with water, I was gripping the wheel fairly strongly just in case I hit a disguised puddle and it tried to pull my wheels. I had just gone through a village called Elston and was running down a long straight piece of road. The lightining was flashing constantly still and the thunder was dreadfully loud, and I was glad there was no traffic and no headlights to add to my problems. Suddenly there was an indescribably bright flash immediately to my left with an instantaneous huge crash of thunder - 'God that was close !' . My steering wheel never moved an inch and my grip on the wheel was still just as strong. To my horror I was driving on the wrong side of the road ! Thank God there was nothing coming the other way ! I steered back to the correct side of the road, and my knees started knocking - how the hell did that happen? A moment later an articulated lorry came round the curve at the bottom of this straight and headed towards me - if he'd been 10 secs earlier, there would have been a head-on and instant stopping at a closing speed of 75-80 mph doesn't leave much of a car or the occupant when it hits a lorry!

I was told later on that it is possible for a lightning strike as close as that must have been to my car would be quite capable of pushing a moving solid object sideways particularly as the surface of the road gave no resistance due to the water on it. What a terrifying thought! We're all told that lightning doesn't strike a moving object, and in any case when you are in a vehicle you are insulated by the tyres. But, it seems, you are not totally safe when you are driving in a thunderstorm, so just be alert and cut your speed right down.

Imladris · Post by **Imladris** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:19 am

I'm sure you can appreciate that years of working in the funeral business and as a police officer I have seen and heard of some gruesome stuff! Most of the time I've been safe and got through relatively unscathed and have no nightmares!!! I won't go into details of lots of the stuff, some of it would be insensitive to members here who have suffered a bereavement but I would like to tell of two things that affected us for quite a while.

1 - Ten years ago this spring we went on holiday to France and stayed on a campsite with a swimming pool. Cut a long story short my daughter who was then 2 1/2 years old fell into the pool in the few seconds she wasn't being watched and had taken her armbands off unseen by us. Hubby saw her floating under the water with eyes wide open in terror and got to her in time. Fast forwards just a few months and he had a phone call from our GP, a family that we knew but not well had a son the same age who had just drowned in the family swimming pool. He had slipped away from his mum who was getting his older sisters in the car, gone round the back of the house and fallen in, sadly she didn't get there in time to save him. The week leading up to the funeral was so hard for all of us here, I used to pop into the chapel of rest each day to say hello to him (daft I know but he was so beautiful). The funeral itself was very emotional for all of us, just because you see death every day doesn't mean you accept it.

2 - A few years ago the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a sack by the river in the next town. She was never identified and to date parents have not been found. The police called her Amanda which means 'she who must be loved'. A collection was made and her grave is marked.

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:24 am

Immy, I would imagine that to be involved with the aftermath of the death of a child, or baby must be so traumatic. It must take a special kind of person to cope with it.

Imladris · Post by **Imladris** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:40 am

G#Gill;784679 wrote: Immy, I would imagine that to be involved with the aftermath of the death of a child, or baby must be so traumatic. It must take a special kind of person to cope with it.

Thanks for the compliment! But no, not really, there's a job to do and you just get on with it, you have to because you can't go to pieces when the family is relying on you to be professional. Doesn't mean you can't show you care and it doesn't mean you're not affected by it.

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:41 am

Wow those were fascinating stories everyone. I can think how scary it must be to have been in one situation as some of you have told, let alone several in your lifes, that would really get to me if I had been you.

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:11 am

Myself and two others and three of my dogs were on our way to Stoke.I needed to buy some china for my business......it was 6.50am......as normal the M6 was a nightmare and as I approached near Birmingham it seemed to get worse.I was in the slow lane and decided to take over the lorry infront of me as I was overtaking he came out......everything went in slow motion as we hit the fast lane.....went back to the slow lane and ended up in the fast lane....................all I remember is total silence and one of my party saying..........are we dead?Next thing there was banging on the window and somebody was asking if we were alright.We all looked at each other and realised that we were and also were the dogs.It turned out that the lorry driver was turkish....left hand drive and no side mirror.When the police turned up all they could talk about is how they couldn't believe what had happened and there was no pile up and no other vehicle had been involved......infact one actually told me he had been on that route for 20 years and was totally in shock and his very words were.............you have somebody looking after you up there thats for sure.Of course the car was a write off.Even now I think back to what happened and still I can't understand how nobody else was involved knowing how busy that motorway was.My dogs it seemed hadn't even noticed what had happened and they were fine.The other strange thing I noticed on another journey that way after all that happened was just a few yards infront of where the accident happened there was no barrier and we would have just gone over..........yes I do believe somehow....... and dont ask me because I dont have the answer.........we did get some help that day just as we did when we had a fire some years ago.........so do I believe in miracles?You bet yer bottom dollar I do.

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:17 am

Wow I'm so glad that everything turned out well for all of you Carolly, that would of scared the heck out of me!!

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:37 am

chrisb84uk;784794 wrote: Wow I'm so glad that everything turned out well for all of you Carolly, that would of scared the heck out of me!!Oh Chris make no mistake about it......ok we wern't hurt but it has caused me to be more nervous than I was before of lorrys when overtaking and also caused one of my passengers to develop IBS but thats a small price to have to pay to have been able to walk away from what happened.

chrisb84uk · Post by **chrisb84uk** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 11:50 am

That's true, though I'm still sorry to hear about your friend, but as you say thankfully no-one died.

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:02 pm

Gawd, Carol, that was terrible ! What an experience ! But, as you say - a miracle nobody was killed. It makes you think.

Thanks for sharing love.

qsducks · Post by **qsducks** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:14 am

Carolly, you are one lucky lady. I could feel the back of my neck hairs springing up.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:43 pm

The most horrifying memory i have is when i was a young 15 yr old.

Unusual for a girl but i loved football & followed my local team.

I was brought up strictly but would attend the home games every fortnight & occassionally the odd away match.

Although years ago now, this still plays on my memory.

Our team was not doing too well, i remember 3rd division. The usual antics of the home crowd was to invade the pitch after the final whistle. Hundreds of fans would run on to the pitch & it was fun to watch the police try to catch them.

My father used to be disgusted by the fans behaviour so we never considered doing it for a moment.

Last match of the season, if they lost, it meant relegation to the 4th division.

My friend & i decided that as they were about to lose on the final whistle, as a dare, we would join the usual pitch invasion.

The final whistle went, my pal & i ran screaming onto the pitch only to get half way across, look behind us & realise we were the only one's.

The home fans were far too busy fighting with Millwall fans in the stand.

We were escorted quite roughly off the pitch by police officers.

They then told us that of all the matches our team had played, this was the one that was being televised live for "Match of the Day".

My father was at home watching his daughter being led off the pitch on t.v.

I was grounded for a month.

Mind you, if you had seen the way they had played that afternoon, anyone would have sympathised.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:52 pm

jimbo;944627 wrote: this not a happy story ... so if you dont want to feel sad stop reading now

i have cut it short the long version is posted here under carl 44

basically my partner and i were having a baby and the waters broke labour started then stopped ,the nurse sent us home she was as we found out later supossed to give my partner anti biotics to stop any infection spreading through the opening made by the waters breaking

3 days later labour started again we went into hospital and we had the most beautiful girl called natasha ,straight away the doctors took her away ,sam my partner and i were beside herself with worry we knew all was not well ,then a nurse and doctor came back the nurse comforted sam and tried to tellher all was well ,the doctor took me to one side and told me i'm very sorry your daughter is very ill she is not expectd to live through the night ,they sedated sam and told me to go get the clothes that sam had asked for ,i went home crying my heart out , on the radio came tear drops and then stair way to heaven i knew it was not going to good it was a sign i took down the cot and the teddies and ballooons it was terrible but i knew i could not leave them up for sam to come home to

to cut a long story short natasha my beautiful angel held on for 3 days then i woke up early on the third day and i knew it was time i put sam in a wheel chair and rushed her into the special care room and one by one the lights and machines went off she flatlined and natasha was gone

after a while they said we could hold her for the first time as i picked her little body up the air in her lungs came out and she creid for the first and only time we thought she was alive but no , sam held her for hours natashes eyes were big brown and beautiful she looked like she was asleep ,then sam started screaming our angle had set like stone in her arms ,we felt terrible leaving our baby at the hospital sam had milk leaking from her breast it was terrible , i carried natasha in a little white coffin and i watched as they lowred her down ,i love natasha as much today as i did then and i'm sobbing my heart out as i write this .... but its our story and as long as i tell it part of natasha is still with me :-6:-6:-6

So sorry to hear this. I can't go into too much detail, too painfull, but you are not alone. It happened to my brother & his wife just last xmas. His daughter will always be part of our family, never forgotton as you will know. God can be so cruel at times. My sister in law asked "Where was her god". The only answer that made any sense was that to stop the human race killing each other to extinction, he must teach us emotions such as sympathy, empathy etc. Without them, we can not truely understand anothers suffering. Sadly, some of us have to be the sufferers, for others to learn. I am so sorry. OSCAR

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:15 pm

My sympathies are with you Jimbo. As i said, some of us have to be the sufferers for others to learn.

The true sufferers go on to become "Special" people that can truely understand & help others. To keep the world topped up with these specials to avoid extinction, god has to share out the suffering. Sometimes I think he makes one person suffer too much but then they go on to great things later in life.

We must count our blessings every day, it's what keeps us sane.

Your family have suffered along with you, but they will go on to be a "special" in this world. Their time will come when they will help others in their times of need.

Hope this doesn't sound too corny but it's just what i believe.

Belief is everything.

OSCAR