How Far Away is Death?

How far away is death? From close calls to tragic accidents, these incidents are equally shocking as insightful.

Tune in every Thursday to see the newest edition, or scroll down to browse previous topics.

Siblings and an explosive device

April 2, 2026

Federal charges have been placed against siblings—a brother and a sister—and indicted with placing an explosive device, an IED, at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The sister has been placed in custody and the brother fled to China.

Here is further information.

Daughter pilots plane after father’s medical incident

March 26, 2026

A pilot debrief tells us: “The pilot was out of it and the passenger (his daughter) had to try and land the plane and things would only get worse! This is the true story of Jennifer and her struggle to save her parents in N9132V, a Piper Malibu, after her father (the pilot) suffered a medical event during the flight.”

Watch the video:

Judge saves toddler in traffic

March 19, 2026

A Memphis judge, Tarik Sugarmon, was running errands when he went into rescue mode to save a toddler who had ventured into rush-hour traffic near the intersection of Poplar and South Highland Street.

The judge told Action News 5 that he heard a father calling for his little daughter and turned to see what was happening. “I ran toward her, but didn’t yell out because I didn’t want her to freak out. I was waving my arms frantically to get everybody to stop.”

After Sugarmon grabbed the child out of the traffic, he returned her to the father.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris happened to be driving nearby and witnessed the close call. He credited the judge on social media with saving the child’s life.

Sugarmon observed that the experience underscored how swiftly circumstances can go south, particularly with young children, as they don’t comprehend the dangers of quickly moving vehicles.

Industrial accident

March 12, 2026

A CBS News article described what happened to the ground crew worker, “The National Transportation Safety Board [NTSB] said in a statement that a member of ground support personnel was ‘ingested into the engine’ of an aircraft while it was parked at the gate with the parking brake set.”*

The CBS News article also informs us that, “Montgomery Regional Airport said in a statement that an American Airlines/Piedmont Airlines employee died in an ‘industrial accident’ around 3 p.m..”* An NTSB investigation is now underway.

We learn from an article** published on January 23, 2023, by the Associated Press (AP) and broadcast by MYNBC that, “‘A coworker who saw an Alabama airport employee nearly knocked over by exhaust from a jet tried to warn her to stay back, but moments later the employee walked in front of one of the engines and was pulled in, killing her on Dec. 31,’ federal investigators said Monday.”**

The AP article informs us that “Another ground worker on the other side of the plane had backed away after a pilot leaned out the window and said the engines were still running.

“‘Throughout the incident, rotating beacons on the plane appeared to be illuminated, warning that engines were still running,’ investigators said.

“The National Transportation Safety Board provided new details about the fatal accident involving an American Eagle jet in a preliminary report that relied on video surveillance and witness accounts. The board did not state a probable cause for the incident — that step usually follows an investigation that can take a year or longer.

“The flight from Dallas to Montgomery Regional Airport with 63 passengers and crew was operated by Envoy Air, an affiliate of American Airlines.

“An auxiliary power unit used to power the plane without using the engines was not working, according to the safety board, and pilots decided to leave both engines running for a two-minute engine cool-down period while they waited to for the plane to be connected to ground power.

“The NTSB said the ground crew huddled shortly before the Embraer jet arrived at the gate to note that engines would remain running until the plane was connected to ground power, and the plane shouldn’t be approached until the engines were shut down and pilots turned off the beacon light.

“The board also noted that an American Eagle manual revised in July warns workers never to come within 15 feet of the front of an engine — an area called the ‘ingestion zone’ — until the engine’s blades stop spinning.”

*Content source/credit: CBS News, “Ground crew worker killed after being “ingested” into plane engine at Montgomery, Alabama, airport,” January 3, 2023.

**Content source/credit: Associated Press (AP) via /MYNBC News (15 NBC), “New details provided in deadly accident involving Alabama airport ground worker,” January 23, 2023.

Idiots at work?

March 5, 2026

I gathered these clips from r/IdiotsNearlyDying.

I’ll agree they’re all lucky to be alive, but I don’t believe any of these workers are idiots.

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments.

This week’s edition was written by Jacob.

Olympic ski jump close call

February 26, 2026

Olympic US ski jumper, Ben Loomis, was struck by one of the leaf blowers used at the 2026 games in Italy to maintain the Milan Cortina mountain snow surface. Loomis was readying to attempt the big jump when a blower hit him from the side. He later commented that if the blower had hit him in the face it would have been a much different outcome.

Weathering a loss

February 19, 2026

In January, the CBS Boise KBOI chief meteorologist, Roland Steadham, was killed in a small plane crash over Idaho’s Payette River. The plane apparently struck a power line on its way down, according to the Gem County Sheriff’s office. According to KBOI, “Steadham was a meteorologist for 35 years, won multiple awards during his career, and trained countless meteorologists who continue to inform the public across the country.”

The worst buildings

February 12, 2026

Okay, okay, so this is not necessarily about death, but some folks sound mad enough to kill regarding the unattractiveness of these buildings. See what you think about this list of buildings and feel free to respond with a comment.

Heart attack

February 05, 2026

Would you recognize the symptoms if you were experiencing a heart attack? We know that cardiac arrest can occur when we are resting or even sleeping, but knowing some facts beyond “chest pain” can be helpful.

Don’t hesitate to get help if you are experiencing symptoms that are out of the ordinary, something you cannot explain away (from The American Heart Association):

1. pain or discomfort in your chest (which can also manifest in your shoulder, arm, jaw, neck, or back)
2. shortness of breath
3. lightheadedness
4. nausea, vomiting

Read this article for more in-depth information.

Collapsed construction elevator

January 29, 2026

t happened at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York: Five workers were injured after a temporary construction elevator fell several floors with the workers aboard. Paramedics and other first responders pulled the injured workers from the elevator and transported them to local hospitals.

A New York Labor Law stipulates that business owners have the responsibility to provide reasonably safe working conditions for onsite workers.

Watch the video:

Too close for comfort

January 22, 2026

Watch the YouTube/CNN video to see what happened in this near-miss plane incident.

An aviation analyst, Miles O’Brien, says the two planes were “about half a mile apart”* in the near-miss plane incident. CNN reported that the incident occurred at Barcelona Airport followed by an investigation by Spanish aviation authorities.