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Horror Becomes Reality: People Share Their Scariest Moments Ever

Darren August 9, 2024

Nearly everyone has had a terrifying incident that took their breath away. For a moment they thought that the world was going to end or that something awful was about to happen. We searched the Internet to find some of the scariest moments that ordinary people experienced. Some of these stories are simply insane, while others are very relatable.

We’ve got everything from traffic accidents to corrupt police stoppages. You can’t blame these people for being truly frightened for many reasons due to these odd sets of circumstances. Find out just how horrific these moments were from the people who shared their scariest moments ever right here.

Last Rites

Here’s a wild story that could happen to anyone. Traffic accidents happen a lot but this doesn’t make them any less traumatic for the people involved. Most folks don’t think anything bad will happen to them when they leave home. But sometimes crazy things occur and there’s nothing they can do about them.

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The fact that he received the last rites was madness because this is the final sacrament Christians receive before death. Not many people live to tell the tale afterward. It was one of the scariest moments of this person’s life and they didn’t even do anything reckless before it (via Reddit).

Random Stranger

Every child has an inherent fear of their attic or their basement. There’s no good reason for this except that they rarely venture into these dark spaces. One of the creepiest things is hearing random noises from these rooms. But we grow out of worrying about them as we grow older. However, one Redditor still hates going into their basement because of their scariest moment ever.

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Imagine how terrifying it must have been for a child to witness a random stranger emerging from the basement. It’s so unlikely but it seems like they’re telling the truth. We shouldn’t laugh at the old man because he was a vulnerable patient. Nonetheless, it didn’t make life better for the traumatized child (via Reddit).

Swimming Pool

Parents always fear that something bad will happen to their children. Usually, nothing does but it only takes a few seconds for everything to go wrong. Maybe they turn their back for a moment and leave a cup of coffee unsupervised. The next thing they know, their baby is screaming. Swimming pools are a terrible environment for toddlers because they are a death trap.

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Luckily, the father had a quick reaction and her brother knew what to do. It was a team effort, and they saved the little girl in the end. This story could have had a very different and tragic ending if neither of them were there. Luckily, the author’s sister didn’t suffer any adverse effects and probably has no memory of the event (via Reddit).

Pie-Eating Contest

This is one of the most ridiculous entries on this list. Pumpkin pie is a delicious seasonal treat that most people enjoy in the Fall. But one person can’t look at it again because of one of their scariest moments ever. They had a near-death experience during a pumpkin pie eating contest and now they can’t even handle the smell of it.

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It’s almost hilarious because nobody would think of this being a traumatic experience. But it emotionally scarred the post’s author for life so it must have been bad. The moray eel story is also terrifying because they have very sharp teeth. They might have had a squeakier voice if Lucy wanted to have some lunch (via Reddit)!

Full Arrest

This person had one of the scariest moments ever when they had to do their job for the first time. They experienced the amazing responsibility of having to save somebody else’s life. That’s intense because it carries immense weight and everything could go wrong. Every medical worker fears that they’ll freeze at a key moment, but this one didn’t.

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It’s fascinating to receive this psychological insight into a first responder’s mindset. Fortunately, they went through tough training and knew what to do. But they doubted themselves for a moment because they were human. There’s nothing wrong with this as long as they can perform when they need to (via Reddit).

Shark Attack

There’s no such thing as a perfect place because everywhere has a downside. Beachside locations like Hawaii and Spain appear to be paradises. But they also have crazy wildlife like sharks that happily munch on innocent surfers. One Swedish traveler learned this the hard way when he enjoyed the Mediterranean waves.

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It’s fair to say that this would be one of the scariest moments of anybody’s life because sharks are terrifying. Anybody who saw Jaws had nightmares about the gigantic fish attacking them. Luckily, he didn’t receive a bite because sharks go into a frenzy when they smell blood. It could have been much worse for them but they survived unscathed (via Reddit).

Miscalculation

Some people hate holding babies because they fear that they’ll drop them. It may seem irrational but it’s completely fair because they seem so fragile. The reality is that babies are much tougher than we think they are. There are many stories of infants surviving earthquakes and car crashes. Nonetheless, one moment left a Redditor’s heart in their mouth.

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No parent will enjoy reading this because they’ll have visions of something awful happening to their baby. No doubt this will make them hold on a little bit tighter because they’ll feel extra protective of their child. Luckily, nothing bad happened but the poor man almost had the worst moment of their life (via Reddit).

Guns Out

Most people in the world will never hold a gun because of strict laws in their countries. However, the U.S. has a different attitude and owners may whip their firearms out in public. A bartender had one of the scariest moments of his life because a patron pulled a gun on him.

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Luckily, this story had a happy ending but it could have been much worse. The bartender showed incredible bravery in confronting the gun owner because this could have gone badly wrong. The moral of the story is to never be a hero in this type of situation. He didn’t need to become involved and could have taken a bullet (via Reddit).

Psychotic Father

The following story is traumatic and may trigger people who have abusive parents. One teenage girl had a nightmare experience when her father returned home after abandoning his family. He then unleashed a terrifying verbal tirade that shocked her and left her afraid for her life. It’s horrible but this is the reality for many people around the world.

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Luckily, he didn’t cross the line and turn his abuse physical. His verbal actions were bad enough without putting his hands on his daughters. The fact that their neighbors found guns in his car suggests that their lives were at stake. Hopefully, they’re safe and he is receiving help because nobody wins in this scenario (via Reddit).

Heart Transplant

It’s impossible not to empathize with the following Redditor because this is a horrible situation. Having a baby is a beautiful thing but sometimes things don’t go right. There may be problems during the birth or the infant may have physical deficiencies. That’s exactly the case in the following story because she needed a heart transplant.

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Nobody wants to hand their baby over to a stranger with a scalpel but it was necessary to save her life. It goes against every parent’s instincts but it was the right thing to do. Fortunately, according to replies, the operation was a success and the baby is living a healthy life. We congratulate the parents and the little girl because that was a battle (via Reddit).

Near-Death Experience

Crossing roads is one of the most important things that adults teach children. However, even the most educated youngster makes mistakes when they’re not thinking properly. The following account shows how easily a child can run in front of a vehicle. Luckily, he survived unscathed but it was one of the scariest moments of his life.

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It’s also crucial for road users to stay alert because somebody could go wrong in a flash. Animals and children often don’t take motorists into account when they go on the road. The child’s eagerness to get the ball could have killed them. Imagine the poor driver’s reaction to this moment (via Reddit).

Corrupt Cops

The U.S. thinks that it has a problem with police brutality and corruption. But it’s a utopia compared to some places on the planet. One traveler drove through the Balkans from Macedonia to Albania. They encountered the latter’s police and they endured one of the scariest moments of their life.

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They honestly believed that the corrupt officers planned to kill them. Luckily some potential witnesses arrived on the scene and this saved their lives. It’s wild that they thought that they could get away with this in the modern world. These days, Albania is a developing nation so hopefully, these problems are decreasing (via Reddit).

Eighth Floor Visitor

Now and again we have surreal experiences that take our breath away. One office worker had this experience when they were at their desk. They looked out of their window and almost had a heart attack because they saw something that they shouldn’t. Somebody was walking past their window but there was a problem with this.

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For a moment they thought that there was a superhero in the sky or that the building had collapsed. It’s crazy because they thought that nobody could see them from outside but this wasn’t true. They almost felt like the construction worker violated their privacy because they didn’t expect it (via Reddit).

Red Light

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where our lives are no longer in our hands. It’s a social contract we make every time we step onto a bus or an airplane. These are scenarios where we accept that a professional knows what they’re doing and will keep everyone safe. But it’s different when we find ourselves in a car with a maniac.

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Luckily, this Redditor was alert enough to spot the danger before it proved lethal. He should never share a vehicle with that girl again because running a red light is irresponsible. She endangered her passengers as well as the people in the other car. In the end, they walked away after the scariest moments of their lives (via Reddit).

Pointy Stick

Parents spend hundreds of dollars on video games for their children but there’s a cheaper toy that little boys love. A good stick is brilliant for their imagination because it can be a sword, a gun, or whatever else they think of. But if they’re not careful they can also be a little bit dangerous. Unfortunately, this Redditor experienced this but it could have been much worse.

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It was one of the scariest moments of their life because they thought they lost their eye. Most people would choose to lose their hearing before their sight because they don’t want to live in a dark world. The author’s brother didn’t mean to hurt his sibling but accidents happen very quickly (via Reddit).

Too Many Guns

Most people never expect somebody to pull a gun on them because they put themselves in dangerous situations. However, one Redditor alleged that they experienced this twice in the same night. It’s safe to say that these were the scariest moments of his life. The first incident wasn’t what it seemed but the second was very dangerous.

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Don’t pull dumb practical jokes on people like the one above because it could end very badly. But number two was ridiculous because this was a brush with a potential killer. The Redditor doesn’t know if the driver planned to shoot them but they didn’t hang around to find out (via Reddit).

Sunday School

Parents send their children to Sunday School because they want them to learn about Christian values. One Redditor almost met God after he choked on a fireball candy. He swallowed the hard candy but almost choked to death on it. Luckily an adult spotted what happened because this was so close.

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This is one of the dumbest stories we’ve ever heard but it shows how easily somebody bad can happen. The dark room gives this story a sense of extra menace because it could have been an unnoticed incident. Parents should learn basic first-aid because they never know when they’ll need to help somebody (via Reddit).

Wear Your Seat Belt

Drivers can do everything right when they’re on the road but something can still go wrong. There may be oil or ice on the road and this could cause them to skid out of control. Animals or children may run in front of them and force them to slam the breaks. But the worst is when other irresponsible drivers do something crazy. Check out the following account.

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Head wounds bleed like an open faucet so this one wasn’t as bad as it seemed. It shows how crucial it is to wear a seatbelt because they wouldn’t have survived otherwise. Furthermore, it’s interesting how the scariest part wasn’t the car flipping or the danger to his life. It was his wife’s condition that terrified him (via Reddit).

Injured Father

Here’s another situation where the danger to a loved one provided one of the scariest moments of a person’s life. They discovered that their father had a motorcycle accident and they thought that he would die. This was traumatic because they were young at the time and they didn’t want to lose their dad.

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Every little boy thinks that his father is invincible and a superhero. But this was a harsh lesson because they discovered that he was a mere mortal. His father had a brush with death but luckily he survived to tell his child to clean the lawn again. It’s amazing how delicate humans are (via Reddit).

Hero Dad

Children rarely remember things that happened to them when they were small. Usually, the memories fade and become a blur but some moments stick with them. One Redditor said that they had one of the scariest moments of their life when they were about four years old. If it wasn’t for their father’s quick actions they could have drowned.

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This shows how important it is to watch children when they’re beside the water. Tragedy can strike in an instant if supervising adults don’t pay attention. Luckily, this father was in the right place at the right time and he didn’t hesitate. The fact that he wore pants and shoes shows how serious this moment was (via Reddit).

Plane Crash

Most people can’t conceive of being in a plane crash, never mind surviving one. However, that’s exactly what happened to this person when they were flying to a remote region. It’s a mad story and they thought that they were going to die. Luckily, they suffered bruises and cuts but it could have been much worse.

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Nobody wants to go through this type of traumatic experience but it’s a brilliant story for parties. It’s unlikely that they’ll meet someone who had the same brush with death. Fortunately, the plane was close to the ground when they had the crash. Otherwise, they would have turned into a fireball (via Reddit).

Jenny From The Block

This isn’t one of the most dangerous stories on this list but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t scary. One youngster almost had a heart attack when his parents walked into his bedroom. He was looking at some raunchy pictures online and they almost caught him. The screensaver saved his blushes but then there was another dramatic moment.

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It’s hilarious because it feels like something from the American Pie franchise. Luckily, they didn’t see the lewd pictures and this spared him a lifetime of embarrassment. We’re sure that he never forgot to lock his bedroom door again. However, most parents know what their children are up to (via Reddit).

Massive Drop

These days most places worry about health and safety. They don’t want visitors to injure themselves and sue because it’s expensive. It can also create a bad reputation. One American tourist got more than they bargained for when they visited an old European castle because they almost fell to their doom.

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This was one of the scariest moments of their life because it’s crazy how close they came to falling. Nowadays it’s hard to imagine this sort of danger in a popular public setting. But the world changed very quickly and we place more value on life now. Luckily, he didn’t fall because he wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale (via Reddit).

Coming Out

Here is a relatable story for many people reading this article. A Redditor revealed that one of the scariest moments of their life was when they came out of the closet. Some folks will scoff and say this is nothing compared to corrupt police pointing their guns at innocent tourists. But it’s terrifying because they’re worried that their friends and family won’t respect them.

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It’s a sad reality but not everybody accepts it when somebody explains their sexuality. That’s why it’s daunting for many to tell the people they love, regardless of their age. In the past, many folks stayed in the closet because they thought that it would be easier to live a lie. Luckily, the world is moving in a healthier direction (via Reddit).

Welcome Home

The following person revealed the two scariest moments of their life. First, they explained that they had a terrifying asthma attack when they were a kid. This is something that most people won’t understand because it’s a crazy feeling. Asthma patients must have access to an inhaler at all times or they risk asphyxiation.

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The second account is hilarious because everybody has had this moment. They opened their door or stepped out of an elevator to find somebody directly in front of them. It’s so unexpected and it shocks the life out of them because they don’t think that anybody will be there (via Reddit).

Fourth of July

This is another story where things looked far worse than they were. Some people let off fireworks on the Fourth of July. This is a regular occurrence across the nation but it’s dangerous if they don’t know what they’re doing. One Redditor revealed that a stray firework almost burnt their house down.

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Luckily, they had guests who experienced fighting fires. The odds of this are extremely slim so it’s a blessing that they were there. Otherwise, they may have lost their house and the blaze could have spread through the neighborhood. It shows that fireworks aren’t toys and can cause extreme devastation (via Reddit).

Airport Security

Everybody has that uncomfortable guilty feeling when they walk through airport security or see police. Suddenly, an average person wonders if a block of cocaine has materialized in their pockets. It’s ludicrous but it’s the way the human mind works. However, it’s a different story if someone is smuggling drugs across international borders.

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These dumb teenagers made a bad decision and they thought that they were about to pay the price. Hashish isn’t legal in Germany but law enforcement turns more of a blind eye than in the U.S. Nonetheless, it’s a dumb idea to try to bring it through an airport into another country (via Reddit).

Bad Decision

Another person had a close brush with death when they decided to climb down a cliff face. They underestimated the distance to a beautiful beach and ran out of space to move. This was terrifying because they couldn’t make their way back up and found themselves in a perilous position.

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The craziest part of this was that their mother had no idea what happened. She remained blissfully unaware of her child’s stupidity. Nonetheless, it’s crazy to read about one of their struggle to survive. They knew that a single wrong movement would cause them to plummet to a bone-crushing demise (via Reddit).

Ski Smash

If anybody wants a reason not to go skiing they should read this list. Here’s another incident where someone had one of the scariest moments of their life. They went skiing in Wisconsin but they had a massive crash that left them with broken limbs. It happened because another dumb person forced them to leave their comfort zone.

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One of the worst things people can do is to go too high when they lack experience. It always ends in tears because they won’t be able to make their way to the base safely. Friends commonly promise to teach each other but they become bored and abandon their ‘students’ at the top (via Reddit).

The Ring

This is one of the stories where there was no immediate risk to the person. Nonetheless, they still had one of the scariest moments of their life because of a surreal experience. They were watching The Ring, an iconic horror movie when the lights went off. Suddenly, it felt like they were in the middle of the film.

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The power couldn’t have gone off at a worse time because it was an intense moment in the story. Imagine being a child and going through this wacky sequence of events. It wouldn’t have happened if they wanted it to but now they have a great tale to share. We imagine this traumatized them for a long time (via Reddit).

Unsavory Characters

Money makes people act in crazy ways as one poker dealer discovered. He was in the middle of a game when one of the scariest moments of his life went down. Unfortunately, he found himself in an unsavory setting where some of the players came from dubious backgrounds. He feared that his life was at stake because these weren’t nice men.

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It’s possible that they were gangsters because they didn’t fear the consequences of their actions. Furthermore, it says a lot about the bodyguard’s aura that it terrified the dealer more than a robbery. The world is a wild place and people find themselves in surreal positions all of the time (via Reddit).

Customs Inspectors

This is one of the craziest stories on this list because it involves a hijacking in Nigeria. There are some wild parts of the world where business doesn’t go down like anywhere else. It says a lot that the Redditor and his colleagues planned to bribe the Nigerian police as well as customs officials.

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It’s insane that one of the hijackers came to ‘help’ the stricken crew. This shows that the customer planned to steal from them in the very beginning. The only way to prepare for this is to have a security team with them. But what can they do when high-level people are pointing guns at them (via Reddit)?

In the Trunk

We’ve learned that children do dumb things and this is another great example. A pair of boys decided that it was smart to climb into a car’s trunk. Everybody knows that this is potentially dangerous and they almost discovered why. Any claustrophobic readers should look away now because it’s about to get crazy.

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Luckily, there was somebody nearby to help them because it could have gone badly wrong. Imagine how traumatic it would have been if they stayed out all night in the trunk. They’d never be able to enter a vehicle again because the fear would be too strong. Fortunately, they escaped before this happened (via Reddit).

Cliff Hanger

Everybody has heard about stories ending on a cliffhanger but this account begins with one. One Redditor explained that they were repelling in Canada when disaster struck. It left them in a very precarious situation and it made them realize how fragile they were. It’s safe to bet that they won’t be seeking heights again anytime soon.

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This is another reason why people shouldn’t do these things alone. If he didn’t have a guide he would have been in a dangerous situation. There’s a chance that nobody would have been able to help him. The tree could have broken and he would have fallen to his doom (via Reddit).

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