So I Just Saved A Life. Have You?

[Right Hook]

I work as a lifeguard, and today there was a lot of rowdy kids. At our pool we have a swinging rope into the deep end. When I was watching I noticed a girl struggling to get her head up, after a few seconds i jumped in and pulled her out. She's fine now, but it was my first experience with actually saving someone. When I got the job it seemed all very distant to me. I know I was just doing my job but it felt really good to be able to say I saved someone.

So Escapist, do you have any stories of saving a life(lives)?

You didn't necessarily save her life, somebody may have helped if you didn't, still you did a great thing. There are two different times when I may have saved lives. The first time was when I was sitting passenger, my friend was driving and two more of my friends were sitting in the back. My friend wasn't paying attention and was a new driver, he had never come across a ramp that goes into a full circle before. We came across one, he turned onto it and didn't continue his turn, I instinctively reached over and cranked the wheel as hard as I could and got us back on course. If I hadn't we probably would have flown off the ramp into oncoming traffic, so I may have saved all four of us. Another time I spent the entire night with someone who was contemplating suicide and was apparently sure of doing it, I just walked around the town explaining things to them and helping them calm down, by morning it was obvious they were okay and even told me so, so I walked home.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

I've talked a few people out of committing suicide, which is almost hypocritical as I've been suicidally leaning for awhile now, not like a couple days awhile, more of since I was 13-14, which is over a decade now, but at that time I kept swearing it off as bullshit to do with the "antidepressants" they had me on, which only seemed to make me tired, yet unable to sleep, and make it near on impossible to "get it up" which in itself is like living in hell when you've got no friends, your family is a warzone, and the ONLY piece of pleasure in your life is masturbation, and those pills took it away... hell they tried like 5 different kinds of medication hell even mixed em and none of them did anything asside from depressing me more, or that one combination which made me feel like I was hulking out constantly, and couldn't feel anything but hate and rage.

I still wonder if I really saved them, or if I merely convinced them to continue suffering...

Capcha: "whoops a daisy" ... goddamn you capcha, stop reading my mind!

 

[II2]

A life long friend of mine killed himself, hanged, on new years day 2010. He was 27 and a father, had a turbulent life, but was loved, liked and enjoyed on and off success at his pursuits. He left no note, but...

He had given me a call the night before he took his life. I didn't take the call - was half asleep; looked at the call display and figured I'd ring him back when I was more cogent. He didn't leave any voice mail. He'd never given any typical warning signs of that sort of thing. I was startled to find out that I was the last person he tried to reach before he ended it.

It's left me a legacy of speculation, however moot:

Would he tell me what he was planning or elude to it such that I would notice? Would I have been able to help him, or was he set on his course and merely stopping to say goodbye? Ultimately, could I have saved my childhood friend's life by taking that call, or would it have been too little too late?

We'd always been good friends, but there were people he was closer with and he never asked me for advice - he was always the one giving it out, playing the older guide. Why was his last earthy deed to call me?

Topics like this always make me return to this reflection and wonder...

 

[SageRuffin]

I'm in the military, about to go into a career field that ensures many lives remain safe.

Are you?

 

[MercurySteam]

I sometimes talk to people about their relationship problems. I figure that after such a long time sitting on the sidelines that I can perhaps offer some helpful advice advice.

 

[Irridium]

Props to you man. Just a job or not, saving lives is always good.

I haven't saved anyone, but I've had my life saved once.

I was in a pool, wandered into the deep end, couldn't swim, my uncle jumped in and saved me. Didn't really cause me much harm though, after that I learned how to swim so it wouldn't happen again and to help someone else should the need arise.

I'm in the military, about to go into a career field that ensures many lives remain safe.

Are you?

Sadly I'm a coward so I couldn't possibly do that. But much respect to you for doing what I could never do!

 

[redisforever]

I have been told by a friend that I saved him from suicide but he tends to be a little dramatic so I don't really take it to seriously.

In my case, that's actually true, not just over dramatic. I saved my friend's life, really. She was depressed, after her father died, and I basically gave her something to help take her mind off that, and it worked. It was actually introducing her to Doctor Who. Seriously. That show is fucking amazing. It has so much hope in it. She later told me that I basically saved her life, and I understood what I had done was really important.

 

[natster43]

Nice job. Would giving blood count as saving lives? If so, I do that every few months.

 

[IrvingNobel]

I work as a lifeguard, and today there was a lot of rowdy kids. At our pool we have a swinging rope into the deep end. When I was watching I noticed a girl struggling to get her head up, after a few seconds i jumped in and pulled her out. She's fine now, but it was my first experience with actually saving someone. When I got the job it seemed all very distant to me. I know I was just doing my job but it felt really good to be able to say I saved someone.

So Escapist, do you have any stories of saving a life(lives)?

Sort of the same thing...Only a little more "Manly", no offense.

Awhile back we were catching little fish when the one kid fell in the water. Scrawny little guy. As he began to sink I just walked over calmly grabbed him by his collar and pulled him out one handed. Like I said, scrawny. Then we just went about our day trying to catch fish with our bare hands lol.

 

[FishBrains]

If what the Red Cross says about a blood donation saving three lives has any kind of merit. Than in my life, I have saved...*counting*...27 lives. Of course, some of those donations were of the "pure red blood cell donation which is better for handling certain types of cancer" type. But, of course, since almost anybody can do this, it isn't exactly the most noble deed on the planet.

Unfortunately, not everyone can. Where I live there is a minimum weight that I have never reached (I'm a very small person) so I've never had a chance to donate. Also, the antiquated (bullshit) rule against gay men donating blood- not if they've had sex with another man, ever, is still in effect.

I am going to register as an organ donor. I'm a little squicked out at the idea of loosing my insides, but the idea that my death could lead to life or improved quality of life for someone is a much stronger motivation.

Capcha: zombie prom

 

[lacktheknack]

Beyond the standard "Don't cross now, there's a freaking car right there!" moments, not really.

 

[Ziggy109]

I once came home from school to find my neighbor in tears at my front door, needing to use the phone to call an ambulance because her sister had attempted suicide. I was like 14 at the time so I was scared as hell about what was happening, but I mustered up all my courage and called 911 while she looked after her sister and her sister's children. I never did see them again, but from what I heard everything turned out okay.

Then there was the time I dragged a buddy to the ER because he drank a whole bottle of vodka and popped some anti-depressants... The doctors said he would have died without medical attention, so I felt good about helping. Even if all I did was carry the guy to the car and then into the hospital.

 

[tthor]

Are you kidding? I saved HUNDREDS of lives today!

- it might be because I resisted the urge to kill them all today, but still, tomato, potato..