"It Happened In Front Of Hundreds Of People": 16 Incredibly Rare And Strange Ways People Met Their End
Note: This post contains graphic descriptions of deaths.
Recently, we featured some of the most bizarre and unbelievable causes of death, sourced from a Reddit thread that asked: "What's an actual cause of death so extremely rare that it's hard to believe it's possible?"
From personal stories to more well-documented public cases, people had plenty more to share:
1."Years ago, I asked a neighbor who was a tree inspector about his job, and he told me about a woman who was killed by a falling tree branch in the park. The weird part was that the woman's mother had died the same way 30 years earlier. She had a surviving sibling who I can only imagine never walks under trees if they can help it."
—katieeighty
2."You really shouldn't put sharp knives in the dishwasher since it dulls the blades. And if you do, don't put them point up. People die as a result."
—libwitch
In 2003, a 31-year-old woman was accidentally stabbed to death by knives after she slipped and fell into her dishwasher.
3."The hockey player who was killed by an ice skate across the neck. Perhaps not quite as shocking as [others], but still shocking and sad, especially considering it happened in front of hundreds of people."
—rnd13001
In 2023, Adam Johnson, an American professional ice hockey forward, passed away after the skate blade of another player cut his neck during an on-ice collision.
4."When my grandfather was 9, his 2-year-old sister grabbed a wooden skewer off the dinner table and ran out the front door and down the street. He was told to go after her, and of course, she ran faster when she saw there was a chase. Tragically, she fell, and the skewer pierced through her eye, and she died instantly. My poor grandfather always blamed himself even though no one else did 😢."
—Peig77
5."Two strange, rare deaths that I know first hand. One, a girl in my town died from 'Long Scarf Syndrome.' She was riding her dirt bike in winter, and it got caught in the back wheels. Very sad."
"Second, my neighbor's brother died on a golf course in front of said neighbor. The kid hit a bad shot and threw his club against a stone bench. It split in two, and the shaft came back, piercing him through the heart. Doctors said he might have lived if he hadn't panicked and pulled it out of his chest. The kid bled to death as doctors playing golf ran to him, yelling, 'Don't pull it out!!' He was only 17."
—molly1722
6."A woman that I knew from childhood was killed when she fell out of a hayride, and the tractor rolled over her. It was so tragic. She was a young, brilliant doctor. It still makes me teary to think about it. I'll never get over what a freak accident it was."
—SLAP40
7."I remember in my town growing up, there was a 13-year-old boy who was climbing a tree that got struck by lightning and died on a sunny day that didn't even have a cloud in the sky. Apparently, a storm popped up suddenly and vanished just as suddenly, and in those few minutes, a bolt of lightning came out of the sky and hit the tree that he just happened to be climbing. Killed him instantly."
—happyhomemaker29
8."I used to work at a place that put legal documents on film. I got a lot of death certificates. One of the craziest I can remember was when a guy died from having one of those giant decorative snowflakes the city puts out for Christmas on poles or street lights fall on him while he was walking."
—pullhandlesupnotout
9."In 2013, there was a boy killed in an airport when a [300-lb] airport sign fell off the wall."
—voxetpraetereanihill
Here's the news story.
10.According to legend, "The 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda, chronicles a folkloric story of lawgiver Draco's death in the Aeginetan theatre: in a traditional ancient Greek show of approval, his supporters 'threw so many hats and shirts and cloaks on his head that he suffocated, and was buried in that same theatre.'"
—IanGecko
11."Drowning in an elevator. In 2020, a couple in Tel Aviv lived in a building that had an elevator going down to the parking garage. Due to very heavy rainfall, the elevator flooded while they were in it."
—eyl569
Here's the news story.
12."It doesn't happen often (in fact, I think it's really freaking rare), but there have been grown adults who have been killed by chickens. With roosters specifically, many of them have a big spur on each leg. This is, like, a pretty damn big-ass horn with a sharp tip. And some of those roosters can get pretty aggressive. Like, they might just decide to jump up at you and try to stab you in the face."
"I think as recently as last year, there was a [police officer] who got killed by a rooster [breaking up an illegal cockight]. It kicked him in the thigh, but it severed his femoral artery, and he bled out in a matter of minutes."
—soFATZfilm9000
13."The guy who climbed head first into a [large, decorative] dinosaur after dropping his phone inside it."
—TiddlyWiddlyWankyWoo
In 2021, the body of a missing man was discovered inside the leg of a dinosaur statue in a Barcelona suburb. Police believe he became trapped while attempting to recover his cellphone.
14."My dad's friend's dad was 80-something years old when he decided he wanted to have his ingrown toenails removed. Doctors advised against it as there's a high chance of infection, and at his age, it wouldn't be worth it. Decided to get the surgery anyway, got an infection, and died. All because of ingrown toenails."
—[deleted]
15."A guy went to Yellowstone with his dog; they pulled up by one of the hot springs, which are about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The dog immediately ran for the spring and jumped in. The guy ran after to save his dog. People were screaming at him not to jump in, but he did anyway. He had third-degree burns all over his body. His last words were something to the effect of, 'Well, I probably shouldn't have done that.'"
—TraditionalTackle1
His name was David Alan Kirwan.
And lastly:
16."The Dancing Plague in Strasbourg of 1518. It's a wild historical story. People just started breaking out in dance and literally danced to their deaths."
—thethingsaidforlogen
In 1518, hundreds of Strasbourg residents were suddenly seized by an uncontrollable urge to dance, moving nonstop for days, seemingly against their will. This strange phenomenon, known as the dancing plague, lasted about two months, with some succumbing to exhaustion and even death. Theories about its cause range from demonic possession to ergot poisoning — a hallucinogenic mold found in rye bread — but the most widely discussed explanation is a possible mass psychogenic illness triggered by the extreme stress of ongoing famines and outbreaks of smallpox and syphilis.
Have any other weird, rare, or strange deaths to share? Let us know in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length, accuracy, and/or clarity.
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