When I Was Ten Years Old, I Fell out of a Tree and Died...

I fell out of a tree, when I was ten years old.

Perhaps that sounds like an unremarkable event, but let's consider that I was about 25 feet (7.5 meters) up an old pine tree at the time I fell.

My ascent towards the top of the tree was going quite well when a couple of unfortunate things happened: The branch stump that was carrying all the weight on my right foot (while my left foot was seeking purchase further up) turned out to be more rotten than I'd thought and sheared cleanly off. As all my weight shifted to my hands, the thin branch in my left hand-- fine as a temporary handhold, but not up to supporting the majority of my weight-- also gave way and next thing you know, I found myself in free fall. 

Going DOWN...

I've heard it said that "time slows down" when you're in a life threatening situation-- I can only partially agree with that. In one sense, it did seem like it took me a long time to reach the ground, on the other hand everything also happened so fast it seemed like little more than a blur. 

I fell slightly away from the tree trunk, and was basically going down with my back towards the ground. I tried to grab something-- anything-- but it was going way too fast.

About eight feet above ground, the small of my back connected with another partial branch stump maybe 5 feet long-- this one definitely not as rotten, but rotten enough to give way with a loud CRACK that felt like an explosion going through my body. There was no pain, just the sense of "impact."

When I hit the ground, a split second later, there was no sound... just a feeling like I'd suddenly been hit from behind by a freight train, knocking all the wind out of me along with a sharp pain to the back of my head.

Meanwhile, not so Close by...

My parents were working on clearing brush on a plot of land they'd recently bought in a newly developed neighborhood and were at least half a mile away. I knew my friend Henrik was somewhere in the woods nearby; we'd gone off to play "jungle explorers" in this forested area that adjoined the development.

I tried to call for him, but found that I had no voice at all. I could move my lips, but no sound came. I could taste something in my mouth-- salty, metallic-- blood? It was blood! I remembered the taste from the time I cut my finger with my pocketknife.

I also couldn't breathe and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I still didn't really feel any pain, so I had to be OK-ish, at least and decided I would be "brave" and not freak out quite yet-- Henrik would surely come and find me at any moment.

Descent into Darkness... and Light

It was the middle of the day, but the woods seemed "strange," somehow. It was almost as if there were no sounds, or the sounds were extremely muffled.

And then there was the light. The light was "odd," like the sun shining in through bare trees from a low angle in winter-- except it was June, and early afternoon. It also felt like it was getting darker behind me... which was actually below me, as I was on my back on the ground, but my perspective was shifting and I was sitting up and looking forwards. I couldn't remember sitting up. I could only remember not being able to move.

For a moment, I tried to make sense of that, but it didn't seem terribly important. It seemed more important that the darkness appeared to be thickening around me and and I felt a strong sensation that it would be a "good idea" for me to move towards the setting sun that didn't really seem like a setting sun. 

Now THIS Doesn't Make Sense Anymore...

I was not prepared for what happened when I stood up.

It was as if the mere act of standing moved my head 50 feet off the forest floor and I was suddenly looking at a strange diorama of myself lying on the ground under the big pine tree in the woods. It startled me enough that I tried to sit back down... which also felt very strange, like I was suddenly sitting on a sheet of glass, above myself.

At this point I became a little scared, but it was as if there was a voice in my head saying "Don't worry. There's nothing to be afraid of." I was peripherally aware that I should feel scared, and yet I just felt warm and very calm.

Help is on the Way... Finally

Moments later, I felt a sense of relief, because it seemed like people were coming from the direction of the setting sun. I figured it was probably my dad and Henrik-- he must have seen me fall and gone to get help. I couldn't really make them out- they just seemed like billowy figures in the light, which seemed very bright. I also heard voices, but they were very hard to make out, except for one who said "It's very sad. It's really not the right time."

Then I heard my name being said nearby-- and it just kept getting louder and louder and LOUDER... and I was thinking "no need to shout, I'm right here!"

There was this strange feeling that I-- to this day-- can't quite describe. It felt like all the air being sucked out of a room, a rush of sound, then the air coming back in and my ears... a "roar of silence" like you feel when you're outside after a particularly loud concert... and then a face was coming towards mine.

I tried to blink my eyes to clear them and then I was suddenly looking into my dad's face, about two feet from mine, with Henrik and my mom standing close by. My back felt like someone was holding a hot poker to it. 

Epilogue...

Years later, I have determined that I probably "lost" about 12-15 minutes that day.

Henrik had been some distance away and heard the cracks of breaking branches and my fall, but it took him a few minutes to find me as I didn't respond when he called. Then there was the time it would have taken him to run 1/3 mile to the land where my parents were working, and for them to come back with him to where I had fallen.

My father knew basic CPR from having been in the air force during WWII and he claimed I had no pulse when they found me. But here's the strange part-- he felt certain I "jump started my own heart" before he could start CPR... and I just "came to" on my own.

This incident happened long before cell phones (1970) so there would have been no calling 911 from the spot. It was also before a time when most private individuals knew "what to do" when a potential injury had taken place.

More strangeness: I actually stood up and walked out under my own steam-- in a fair bit of pain-- but essentially OK. Off to the emergency room we went, but all that seemed wrong with me was some considerable bruising on my back, a big knot on the back of my head and a cut on the inside of my cheek where I'd bitten myself on impact. The attending physician said I had been "extremely lucky."

To this day, however, I lack flexibility in my back. Sometimes I also "sense" things I can't quite explain, but that's a whole different story.

How about YOU? Have you ever had an experience or injury that left you permanently wondering what happened to some minutes of your life? Did something happen that didn't make sense, or that you couldn't-- and still can't-- explain? Have you ever been clinically dead and brought back to life? Do you think so-called "Near Death Experiences" are a real thing? Leave a comment-- share your experiences and feedback-- join the conversation!

Note: This post is part of @merej99's "Community Engagement Challenge." For more information, please read the original announcement on her profile page!

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Published 20170711 16:45 PDT