# Bizarre deaths **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 14, 2003, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232 "2003-03-14T01:50:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/61 "2003-03-18T18:14:44Z")
How about ironic deaths? **Dar Robinson** was regarded as the world’s greatest stuntman. His feats included a 311-foot dive from a helicopter into an airbag (a world record at the time, and probably today as well), driving a car off the edge of the Grand Canyon (with a parachute), and a freefall from the top of the CN Tower with only a 1/8" wire to break his fall. He died in 1987 when he fell from his motorcycle while travelling at about 15 mph. There’s another story I read about a high diver from the early 20th century who _loved_ to jump from bridges, cliffs, you name it. He met his end when he slipped in his boat, hit his head, and fell 1½ feet into the water. Unfortunately I don’t remember his name so I can’t Google it… ---
**Author:** ![tunabreath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@tunabreath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tunabreath)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/62 "2003-03-18T21:34:19Z")
If your father has sex with your sister and the result is you are born she is your (half)sister and your mother. ---
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/63 "2003-03-20T00:06:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tunabreath \* > \*\*If your father has sex with your sister and the result is you are born she is your (half)sister and your mother. \*\* Wow, an echo in cyberspace? That’s exactly what I said, your HALF sister. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/64 "2003-05-18T02:44:26Z")
It lives! IT LIVES! (Sorry, always wanted to resurrect something and scream that) I’ve dug up a few more interesting deaths to share… Composer Thomas Wise who, after an arguement with his wife in 1689, ran out into the street and picked a fight with the first person he saw. Unfortunately for him, it was the night watchman, who stabbed him with a billhook. Pope John XII, a notorious hounddog, who in 964 was sleeping with one of his lady-friends when her husband happened to walk in on them. The irate spouse brained him with a hammer. King Stanislaus Leszcynski of Poland was waiting to open Parliament in 1766 when he brushed against a kerosene heater. His Robes of State went up in flames and Stanislaus with them. Prince Friedrich of Prussia who, during a routine Bundeswehr Army maneuver, was crushed by one of his own tanks. Pope Clement V’s was celebrating his coronation in 1305, and Jean II, Duke of Brittany, was leading the Pope’s horse. So many spectators had piled atop the walls that one of them crumbled and collapsed right on top of the unfortunate duke. .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![Nvme77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Nvme77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nvme77)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/65 "2003-05-18T06:32:38Z")
IIRC, Isadora Duncan was known for wearing long diaphanous scarves and she was killed when she got in her convertible and took off. Her scarf got caught in a wheel and strangled/broke her neck. ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/66 "2003-05-18T07:03:02Z")
I knew someone who passed away during a, um, session, with her boyfriend. She was in her early forties, he was twenty-one. Heart failure. She’d have gotten a HUGE kick out of it! ---
**Author:** ![Margo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Margo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Margo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/67 "2003-05-18T14:04:08Z")
When I lived in Slc there were two deaths that would be considered strange…a lady worked for Lynn Wilson making salsa and she slipped and fell head first into a vat of salsa and drowned. Then a man was pulled into an industrial fan…oh the horror. Margo ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/68 "2003-05-18T16:29:04Z")
I hear that about King Edward II who got a red-hot poker in the ass. Also, he was gay, so it was thought that his manner of execution showed the wit of his executers. As for mine, I had a great-uncle who was eaten by pigs. ---
**Author:** ![Nichol\_storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Nichol\_storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nichol_storm)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/69 "2003-05-20T21:26:06Z")
Remembered another bizarre death – Princess Brunhild of the Visigoths (c. 545-613) annoyed Merovingian king Choltar II. According to the “Liber Historiae Francorum”: “Then the army of the Franks and Burgundians joined into one, all shouted together tht death would be most fitting for the very wicked Brunhild. Then King Chlotar ordered that she be lifted on to a camel and led through the entire army. Then she was tied to the feet of wild horses and torn apart limb from limb. Finally she died. Her final grave was the fire. Her bones were burnt.” Ick. .:Nichol:. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/70 "2003-05-20T22:25:35Z")
Well, funny you should mention it. I was looking at snopes this very day for something else, and came across the sad tale of a man who, while being chased by police, jumped from the roof of a building and landed on an iron fence. But he landed in such a way that his head caught on the top of the fence and popped neatly off of his body. Snopes, I suppose feeling they must prove that this is not an urban legend, even posted pictures of the gruesome accident. I don’t think I should post a link to it, but if you want proof, go to [snopes.com](http://snopes.com) and do a search for decapitation. This would certainly be a bizarre way to die in my book. (urgh) ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Trauma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Doc\_Trauma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Trauma)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2003, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/71 "2003-05-20T23:00:59Z")
This was told to me as a cautionary tale when I was in EMT class. They gave us handouts, (real photocopies!) so it might be true. A man and his 8 year old son while mowing the lawn had taken to tossing the clippings into a unused septic tank with a large opening on top (why, I don’t know). The son leaned over and looked into the hole and was overcome by the methane fumes inside. He fell in. Father dove in after him and was soon quickly overcome. The wife had called 911 and soon police showed up to assist. The first cop climbed in and was overcome by the fumes. A firefighter arrived next and you guessed it. A Second firefighter smartly donned his SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) and climed in. He handed out the child and then while trying to get some of the rescuers out removed his mask so he could see and was overcome. A third firefighter climbed in and didn’t remove his SCBA. Apparently the only one to survive the ordeal was the child and the third firefighter. ---
**Author:** ![Mapache](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58956e/32.png) [@Mapache](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mapache)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/72 "2003-05-21T00:44:24Z")
When I lived in Ecuador many years ago I clipped an article from the local paper. I’ve lost it long since, but I can still quote it pretty much verbatim: “The respected senor don Armando Perez passed from this world on Tuesday in his natal village of Anconcito. Don Armando was accustomed to satisfy his physiological necessities (they mean taking a dump; Ecuadorians are particularly fond of flowery language) at the edge of a twenty meter cliff behind his house. On the aforementioned Tuesday he was engaged in this task when a large sow, who was treated as a family pet, approached him and gave him an affectionate poke with her snout, causing the unfortunate one to fall over the cliff to the beach below, where he met his untimely end at the age of seventythree years.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/73 "2003-06-16T16:55:06Z")
Ernie Kovacs died when he lost control of his car while trying to light his cigar. At least that’s what is thought. He did have an unlit cigar in his hand. . . but he had also been drinking. ---
**Author:** ![Homer\_J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c37758/32.png) [@Homer\_J](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer_J)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/74 "2003-06-16T17:55:16Z")
mama cass (mamas and the papas) chokeing on a ham sandwhich a greek playwrite( i forget whom) died when an eagle dropped a tortoise shell it was carrying and killed him outright straight on the top of his head ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9de053/32.png) [@Umbriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/75 "2003-06-16T18:56:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Homer J \* > \*\*mama cass (mamas and the papas) chokeing on a ham sandwhich > > a greek playwrite( i forget whom) died when an eagle dropped a tortoise shell it was carrying and killed him outright straight on the top of his head \*\* Alas, poor Cass has suffered from a distortion of her death akin to Lupe Velez. [Snopes debunks the choking story here](http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/mamacass.htm). Aeschylus is the poet that legend has it was brained by a dropped tortoise. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/76 "2003-06-16T19:19:26Z")
I read a bizarre death account years back and now the details are sketchy. Maybe someone can help me on this. Some husband was showing a gun to his wife that he usually kept unloaded (the gun). However, his son had snuck in some live ammo in the hope that since he often played with the gun, he’d accidentally shoot himself and the son could collect insurance. However, the bullet went out the window and hit the son who’d just jumped off the roof, despondant because it seemed he had financial problems and he’d not collect his inheritance in time. These details aren’t exactly correct but does it ring a bell with someone that can help? It was a truly bizarre series of steps involved. ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/77 "2003-06-16T19:41:12Z")
As a kid I read a newspaper article on a weird incident that happened in Kentucky some 25 years ago. A man who was in trouble with the law decided the best way to get out of trouble would be to make it look like he was dead. He somehow faked jumping off a bridge into a river. Then he hurried off to a small town a short distance away. The police combed the river for his body; meanwhile, his girlfriend became so distraught she actually did jump off the bridge and drowned as a result. When the man heard about his girlfriend’s death he turned himself in. I don’t know what happened to him after that. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/78 "2003-06-16T19:51:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*I read a bizarre death account years back and now the details are sketchy. Maybe someone can help me on this. > > Some husband was showing a gun to his wife that he usually kept unloaded (the gun). However, his son had snuck in some live ammo in the hope that since he often played with the gun, he’d accidentally shoot himself and the son could collect insurance. However, the bullet went out the window and hit the son who’d just jumped off the roof, despondant because it seemed he had financial problems and he’d not collect his inheritance in time. > > These details aren’t exactly correct but does it ring a bell with someone that can help? It was a truly bizarre series of steps involved. \*\* This sounds like the hypothetical story that has become an urban legend, and made it into the opening sequence of the movie “Magnolia.” [Here’s](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/freakish/opus.htm) the Snopes article. It’s actually way more convoluted that you remember. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/79 "2003-06-16T20:45:17Z")
Yep, that’s it. Thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232/80 "2003-06-16T21:03:06Z")
Willie Wagner’s death is mysterious: [http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/06/12/electrocution.mystery.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/06/12/electrocution.mystery.ap/index.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-deaths/161232.md?page=5)