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Posted: 06-06-2013 16:23 Post subject:

I read about a frozen plane stowaway in a book back in the eighties, one of those "fancy that, funny old world!" paperbacks, and it was a novelty back then, which sounds really odd to say now because it's happening more and more.

Don't the refugees hear about these tragedies and decide against joining that gruesome club? I can't conceive of how desperate they must be to still think it's a good idea.

Posted: 06-06-2013 16:27 Post subject:

Posted: 06-06-2013 16:28 Post subject:

Posted: 06-06-2013 16:42 Post subject:

Let's face it. Some of the places these refugees are escaping from, for whatever reasons, without lots of money, modern transport, visas and valid passports, are a very, very, long way from here. Desperation could turn every opportunity, however unlikely, into a chance not to be passed up. How many of those refugees know what the atmospheric pressure, or temperature, is in an unpressurized, uninsulated, wheel bay of a jet at 36,000 feet, anyway?

Posted: 06-06-2013 18:16 Post subject:

An FAA initial study on wheel well stowaway incidents (1947 - 1993) and survival rates was published in 1996. That early report (covering only 10 incidents reported in the _New York Times_) can be accessed at:

http://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/1990s/media/AM96-25.pdf

An updated FAA report, cited in this September 2012 BBC article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19562101

... Raises the total tally to 96 documented incidents since 1947. In these incidents, 73 were fatal, and only 23 stowaways survived. In other words - only a roughly 1 in 4 chance of survival to date.

Posted: 06-06-2013 18:36 Post subject:

I wonder how many ended up in the sea and weren't identified as stowaways?

Or could they drop out only at the last minute?

Posted: 06-06-2013 18:47 Post subject:

Posted: 07-06-2013 19:22 Post subject:

Posted: 23-06-2013 21:19 Post subject:

Posted: 26-06-2013 07:50 Post subject:

Texas teen dies after being impaled on bull statue horn

A US teenager has died after being impaled by the horn of a bull statue on a Texas university campus.
Miguel Martinez was fatally wounded in the chest before dawn on Saturday morning in a park near the National Ranching Heritage Center, at Texas Tech University in the city of Lubbock.
He is believed to have tripped while playing hide-and-seek with four other children. They were accompanied by two adults at the time.

Police are investigating the death.

The boy's mother, Judith Leseberg, told CBS affiliate KCBD: "He just happened to trip over one of the lights. I guess he lost his balance and he went straight down on one of the horns.
"It's hard for all of us. No mother expects this to happen to their child."

The university said it would review its policies, practices and facilities to determine if any changes needed to be made to prevent a reoccurrence of such an incident.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23058296

Posted: 13-07-2013 20:19 Post subject:

Man dies when cow falls through his roof onto him.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2362522/Man-killed-1-5tonne-cow-crashes-corrugated-iron-roof-slept.html

Posted: 15-07-2013 12:19 Post subject:

Susan Taylor dies during English Channel charity swim

A woman has died trying to swim across the English Channel, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has said.
Susan Taylor died in Boulogne on Sunday after getting into difficulty during her swim.

On her fundraising page, she said she was doing the 21-mile endurance test to raise money for Rainbow's Hospice in Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Ms Taylor's sister said on Facebook she had "suddenly collapsed" in the water and was treated in a support boat.
She added that she was then airlifted to hospital, where she died.

Ms Taylor, who was in her 30s, was swimming under the guidance of the Channel Swimming Association - which officially authorises crossing attempts - when she got into difficulty near the French coast at about 17:30 BST.

A spokeswoman for the FCO said: "We are aware of the death of a British national in Boulogne on July 14.
"We are in touch with the family and are providing consular assistance."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-23315992

Sad

Posted: 15-07-2013 13:15 Post subject:

Sad news indeed.

Posted: 26-07-2013 14:17 Post subject:

Brixham father Andy Batty dies from horsefly bite

A 48-year-old father died after suffering an "incredibly rare" allergic reaction when he was bitten by a horsefly.
Andy Batty, had been watching his daughter Catherine, 17, ride her horse at Brixham, Devon, when he was bitten.
The father of four collapsed as a result of anaphylactic shock and was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene.

The rugby club where he volunteered paid tributes to a "likeable guy".

Two ambulances and a helicopter went to the field at 12:30 BST on Sunday, but engineer Mr Batty could not be saved.
Lindsey McManus, deputy chief executive at Allergy UK, said: "It is more common for people to develop localised infection and pain around the bite.

"This is very unusual and although horsefly bites can be painful, the likelihood of someone being this allergic is very rare indeed."

Mr Batty had been a volunteer gateman at Brixham Rugby Club for the past three years.
Club chairman Chris Forster said he was "totally shocked" at hearing of the death.
"Andy was a very pleasant, likeable guy. He was large in stature and large in character," he said.
"He was always willing to help and support and do anything that he could.
"All our supporters are crucial to the club and Andy was someone you could rely on."

He said Catherine was "being very brave and dealing with it in the best way she could".
The club will hold a minute's silence in memory of Mr Batty at the first game of the season, on 1 September.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-23463783

Posted: 27-07-2013 13:41 Post subject: