Has someone ever believed you saved their life?

Inspired by the thread “Has anyone ever saved your life”

I was once playing on the side of a hill with a good friend. We were kids at the time (we were at that age where boys play hide and seek and pretend to be explorers).

We were on the side of what my memory tells me was a roughly 45 degree incline.

The event in question was this - He was further down the hill than me. something happened which caused him to feel like he was going to fall and he said panicked things to me. I simply said ‘grab my hand’. He did so, and I pulled him up to where I was. From that day forward he maintained that I saved his life. But I felt sure that had he falled he’d simply rolled about a bit and at worst got bruised about and then got up and dusted himself off like any other virtually invincible male child.

But it’s flattering to be told I saved his life.

Ever been on the receiving end of that statement?

Yes. My mother believes I saved her life. She was very disoriented and confused and I insisted she either let me take her to the hospital or I would call an ambulance. Had I not been there, she wouldn’t have gone to the hospital and likely would have died–it turned out she was disoriented from hypothermia.

Several women who I have advised to leave their abusive husbands or boyfriends have told me later that I probably saved their lives.

I have saved several lives.

  1. In Boy Scouts, a friend with polio began sliding off a cliff. I grabbed him, and someone grabbed me.

  2. When I was crossing a street in San Jose, the woman I was chatting with began walking just as the light changed. However, a VTA bus was charging through the light and woudl have smashed her like a bug had I not pulled her back.

  3. I pulled a small child off the Light Rail tracks as the train was coming.

In no case was I particularly heroic, as except in #1, my life was in no danger. I was just observant and fast witted.

Yes, but probably not in the way the OP is looking for…

I’m sitting on the steps at home, and my three year old daughter is sitting on my lap, wriggling and squirming, as she does.

I have no idea what’s going on in her head, but at one point she gives a violent heave, and pretty much launches herself down the steps head-first.

Fortunately, I’m on the ball and grab her round the armpits. She does a complete somersault, and lands up about 3 or 4 steps down, looking up at me.

She gazes straight into my eyes.

“Your majesty! You saved my life!”

“No problem”, I tell her.