Playing with Elephants

2005 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(28 January 2005, Pendang, Thailand) It's no secret that elephants are big. Elephants eat hundreds of pounds of food a day just to maintain their weight. Indian elephants are nine feet tall at the shoulder, and the males have tusks that extend over three feet. They're so powerful that in Southeast Asia they are used to haul massive tree trunks with their tusks, work performed by heavy equipment in other countries.
It's also no secret that teasing an animal can make it mad. Teasing a nine-foot-tall animal that can carry a tree with its three-foot tusks may not be a good idea. Yet that was the very idea that formed in Prawat's head, when he saw a herd of five performing elephants chained to trees outside a Buddhist temple.

While the owner waited inside for an entertainment permit, Prawat, a 50-year-old rubber-tapper, offered sugar cane to one of the ever-hungry elephants... then pulled it away. Then he did it again. And again. And again.

The game was great fun for Prawat, but the elephant quickly tired of it. The last time Prawat withdrew the treat, the elephant swung his massive tusks and gored him through the stomach. He died on the way to Alor Star Hospital.

 

Nagrade za period 1995 - 1998

U juznom Egiptu, sestoro ljudi se udavilo pokusavajuci da spasu kokosku koja je upala u 60 stopa dubok bunar. Prvi je srecu okusao 18-ogodisnji farmer, koji se udavio nakon sto su ga podvodne struje povukle na dno. Dalje su pokusali njegova sestra i dva brata. Oni su, jedan po jedan, ulazili u bunar i davili se jer niko od njih nije znao da pliva. Videvsi to, dva postarija farmera su pokusala da pomognu, ali je i njih povukla ista podzemna struja. Tela ovih 6 osoba su kasnije nadjena u Nazlatu, 240 milja juzno od Kaira. Kokoska je prezivela.

U smrskanim kolima, zakucanim u jedan stub na americkom auto-putu 95, nadjen je muski les. Policija je procenila da je automobil isao 120 milja na sat, prosto gledajuci do koje je dubine u covekove grudi bio zabijen prodajni katalog neke firme. Ocigledno, tip se sudario jer je bio zaokupljen citanjem.

Majkl Anderson Godvin je par godina cekao izvrsenje kazne smrti na elektricnoj stolici dok mu nisu smanjili kaznu na dozivotnu robiju. Par dana nakon pomilovanja, sedeci na metalnoj WC solji i pokusavajuci da popravi mali TV, dotakao je strujni kabl i time se sprzio.

Dok je hvatao ribu strujom u centralnoj Poljskoj, ribar je slucajno upao u vodu i doziveo istu sudbinu kao svoj plen. Po policiskom izvestaju, doticni 24-ogodisnji covek je bio jedan od cetvorice prijatelja koji su lovili ribu pomocu mreze pod visokim naponom. U pocetku je sve islo po planu, ali iznenada, tip koji je drzao mrezu je posegao da dohvati ribu i upao u vodu.

Lovokradica Marino Malerba je pucao u jelena koji je stajao na jednoj izdignutoj steni i poginuo kad je pogodjena zivotinja pala sa stene pravo na njega.

Decembra, blizu mesta Mineral Wells u Teksasu, USA, tri coveka su poginula kad ih je udarila struja dok su pokusavali da ukradu obicnu bakarnu zicu sa dalekovoda.

Robert Kevin Braun je vozio americkim auto-putem I-95 brzinom 150 km/h kada ga je iznervirao vozac ispred njega koji je isao nekih 80 km/h. Robert je onda ukocio i poceo da vozi uporedo sa sporijim vozilom. Po izvestajima, g. Braun je "pokusao da vozacu drugog vozila pokaze svoje privatne delove tela" kada je izgubio kotrolu nad svojim kolima i sleteo u 50 metara dubok ambis. Kada je njegov auto pronadjen, jos uvek je bio u njemu, "neobicno obucen".

Mining for Elephants

2005 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

15 February 2005, Rushinga, Zimbabwe
The elephants were trampling Christian's maize field, which he planted on an elephant trail of long standing. He had to find a way to fight back! Fortunately, there was an old minefield nearby, on the Zimabwe-Mozambique border. Christian figured a few landmines planted around his field would soon teach the elephants a lesson they would never forget.

Christian may have gotten the idea of using the mines from a couple of incidents that had recently transpired. A local resident had been injured after picking up a landmine while herding cattle the week before. A week before that, another Rushinga man had lost part of his leg after stepping on a landmine. The other villagers saw the writing on the wall, and avoided the landmines.

But Christian realized they were just what he needed! Clearly, these mines could cause great damage to an elephant! He dug up five that had been exposed by recent heavy rains, and began carrying them home.

These unstable mines detonated, killing Christian instantly.

Then total number of elephants injured? Zero.

 

Failed Frame-Up

2005 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(19 March 2005, Michigan) "Unusual" and "complicated" is how the Missaukee County sheriff described the mysterious death of 19-year-old Christopher, who called 911 at 1:22am and calmly informed the police dispatcher that his neighbor had stabbed him. Suddenly he began screaming and begging for help. A woman was heard shouting in the background, "Why did you do this?" Deputies arrived quickly, only to find that Christopher had bled to death from stab wounds to his chest.
After an evening spent imbibing large quantities of alcohol, Christopher noticed a shortage in his liquor supply that could not be attributed to his own depredations. He concluded that his neighbor had stolen a bottle of booze! He menaced said neighbor with a knife, to no avail, whereupon he retired to his own apartment to brood about revenge.

Finally he figured out the perfect way to get back at that conniving bottle-thief: he would stab himself and blame the neighbor!

A witness saw Christopher enter the bathroom while he called police. When he emerged from the bathroom, he looked perfectly fine, but a moment later he began screaming as gouts of blood spewed from his chest. He ran to the door of the apartment, and collapsed.

The evidence pointed to self-inflicted wounds. Deputies found the knife that killed him in the kitchen, and an autopsy concluded that he had stabbed himself in the chest twice. The first wound may not have looked dangerous enough to him, so he took the knife and tried again, this time plunging it into his left ventricle. This wound was plenty dangerous: he had only two minutes to live.

Christopher died in vain. His deathbed accusation fell on deaf ears, as a witness stated that the neighbor was not in the apartment, and the neighbor offered to take a lie-detector test to demonstrate his innocence. All Christopher got for revenge was an accidental death sentence.

 

Nagrade za period 1995 - 1998

22-ogodisnji Erik A. Brakia je poginuo dok je pokusavao da samostalno izvede bungee skok sa 40 metara visokog zeleznickog mosta. On je skupio vise delova bungee konopca i povezao ih, ali je ukupna duzina uzeta bila veca nego visina mosta. Ta greska je bila fatalna. Po izvestaju, poginuo je od "visestrukih trauma", nakon sto je tresnuo u pod.

37-ogodisnji Robert Lirou Soverstil je poginuo dok je demonstrirao svojoj zeni, 36-ogodisnjoj Medlin Dzesp Soverstil, bezbednost oruzija koje je cuvao u kuci. U stvari, nakon sto mu se zena pozalila na njegovu zbirku od cak 70 raznih pistolja i pusaka, Robert je odlucio da joj dokaze da je njegova kolekcija potpuno bezbedna za decu. Uzeo je pistolj kalibra 45 i, uveravajuci zenu da je prazan, prislonio ga na grudi i opalio. Umreo je od jedne prostrelne rane, koju je napravio metak zaostao u cevi pistolja.

Tri mladica iz Oklahome su odlucila da za 4. Juli naprave vatromet kakav ce se pamtiti. Njihov jedini problem je bio sto su za lansirnu rampu i uporiste odredili jednu cisternu sa nekoliko stotina hiljada litara goriva. Kada su zapalili prvu raketu, prolomila se ogromna eksplozija koja se videla mijama unaokolo. Njihova tela su nadjena nekih 200m dalje od mesta eksplozije.

Advokat je sa dva druga ribario na jezeru Kado u Luizijani, kad je munja udarila u povrsinu vode. Vecina ribolovaca se zaputila ka obali ali ne i nas junak. On se popeo na jedno aluminijumsko uzvisenje na brodu, rasirio ruke i viknuo: "Evo me, gospode! Pogodi me!!!". Treba li spominjati da mu se zelja ispunila? Druga dva putnika su prezivela i nakon nesrece se prikljucila manastiru.

U oblasti Konektikuta se nalazi veliki broj strujnih kablova, koje povezuju prenosni tornjevi. U pitanju su visoke metalne gradjevine na koje se mestani cesto penju i uzivaju u cistom vazduhu i lepom pogledu. Tako, jedan tip je nakon svadje sa devojkom odlucio da malo posedi na vrhu jednog od tih tornjeva i sredi misli. Naravno,tako nesto nikako ne ide bez cuvenih americkih six pack-ova (6 konzervi piva). Nakon sto se popeo na jedan 30m visok stub juzno od mesta Hartford, pored auto-puta I-91, tip je seo, poceo da ispija piva i da leci povredjenu sujetu. Nakon 5 piva, morao je da uradi ono sto svaki covek mora da uradi kada popije toliko tecnosti. Kako je bio dugacak put do dole, odlucio je da svoje potrebe obavi sa same platforme. Tako je otkopcao rajfeslus i poceo da se 'olaksava'. Ali, kako je slucajno pogodio provodnik, 115 000 volti se prenelo kroz stub mokrace, pravo do covekovog penisa, izazivajuci strujni udar i bacajuci ga sa platforme. Kada su tehnicari iz distribucije dosli da ispitaju kratak spoj, nasli su les, sa otkopcanim rajfeslusom sprzenim genetalijama koje su se jos uvek pusile. Na vrhu platforme je stajala poslednja konzerva piva.

Freeway Dangler

2005 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(31 May 2005, Seattle, Washington) Strength and endurance are two of the most important characteristics that can be passed on to improve the species, so physical challenges between males are frequent. In this case, two drinking buddies found themselves on an overpass 40 feet above a busy freeway in downtown Seattle at 2:45 a.m. It turned out to be the perfect place to determine who had more strength and endurance. Whoever could dangle from the overpass the longest would win!
Unfortunately, the winner was too tired from his victory to climb back up, despite help from his 31-year-old friend. The unidentified champion fell smack into the front of a semi-truck barreling down the highway at 60 mph and bounced onto the pavement, where he was hit by a car. The car did not stop. Authorities did not identify the winner of the competition.
 

"Plug Me In"

2005 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(7 March 2005, Hanoi, Vietnam) Nguyen, 21, had been drinking with friends in the Tu Liem district of Hanoi, when he pulled out an old detonator he had found. The detonator was about six centimeters long and 8 centimeters in diameter, with two wires hanging out of the end. Because it was old and rusty, he said, it couldn't explode. His friends disagreed.
To prove his point, Nguyen put the detonator in his mouth and asked his friend to plug the dangling wires into a 220-volt electrical receptacle. Nyugen was wrong!

The victim had little time to reflect on how he could have been so mistaken, or whether 220 volts alone could have been fatal. According to police, "the explosion blew out his cheek and smashed all his teeth." Nguyen died on the way to the hospital.

 

Nagrade za period 1995 - 1998

Kada su radnici u nekom teksaskom skladistu primetili da curi gas, brzo su pogasili sva svetla i izvore vatre i evakuisali se. Nakon sto je zgrada ispraznjena, poslata su dva tehnicara gasne kompanije da srede stvar. Rekonstrukcijom dogadjaja, policija je ustanovila da tehnicari, izgleda, nisu mogli da rade u potpunom mraku pa je jedan od njih izvadio upaljac i upalio ga. Vatra je zapalila gas koji je eksplodirao bacajuci delove zgrade miljama unaokolo. Ostaci dva tehnicara nikad nisu nadjeni, ali je upaljac ostao gotovo netaknut.

Na naftonosnim poljima Teksasa, grupa tinejdzera je sedela na jednoj cisterni i pila. Onda je jedan od njih resio da pogleda sta je u kontejneru. Kako nije imao baterisku lampu, a bio je mrak, uzeo je upaljac, zapalio ga i prineo otvoru cisterne. Ona je, naravno, bila puna nafte, koja je eksplodirala ubijajuci i ovog "genija" i njegove drugove.

Ostra dijeta i soba bez ventilacije su ocigledno krivi za smrt coveka koji se u gusio u oblaku sopstvenog crevnog gasa. Njegova dijeta je bila sacinjena pre svega od pasulja i kupusa sto je, sa jos par sastojaka, stvorilo savrsenu kombinaciju. Izgleda da je za vreme sna doticni covek ispustio vecu kolicinu smrtonosnog gasa koji je, posto su svi prozori bili zatvoreni, oformio oblak iznad kreveta i tako ugusio svog 'kreatora'. Jos tri spasioca su dosla u dodir za doticnim gasom ali su na vreme odvedeni u bolnicu.

Za vreme zurke, 24-ogodisnji Dzeri Stromjer je ostao bez usana, jezika i zuba nakon sto je, fore radi, zagrizao petardu.

Dva drugara su, za vreme ribarenja, odlucila da se malo zabave tako sto ce da bace sipku dinamita u more, cisto da vide sta ce da se desi. Ali, vetar je skrenuo putanju eksploziva priljubivsi ga uz bok broda. Kada je dinamit eksplodirao stvorio je ogromnu rupu na koritu broda, nakon cega je isti ubrzo potonuo. Jedan covek je uspeo da se spasi dok se drugi udavio.

Eni Seduki (33) i njegov brat su odlucili da uklone osinje gnezdo sa hangara na njihovom posedu. U tu svrhu odlucili su da upotrebe specificnu ilegalnu petardu, jacine pola stapa dinamita. Petardu su zapalili i ceo dogadjaj gledali kroz prozor kuce, nekih 5 metara od hangara. Eksplozija je bila toliko jaka da je razbila prozor bacajuci komadice stakla pravo na Enijevo lice i time stvarajuci ozbiljne posekotine. Videvsi da Eniju treba usivanje, braca su krenula ka obliznjoj bolnici. Medjutim na putu za bolnicu, Enija su izbole prezivele ose. Kako je on bio alergican na ujed osa, a to ni on ni njegov brat nisu znali, umreo je na putu za bolnicu.

Aprila u Mineapolisu, Derik L. Ricards je optuzen ubistvo svog rodjaka Keneta E. Ricardsa. Po izjavi policije, Derek je rodjaku predlozio da igraju ruski rulet, zatim mu prislonio poluautomatski pistolj na celo i opalio.

Rutting Contest

2004 Darwin Award Nominee
Unconfirmed by Darwin

(October 2004, Chiayi, Taiwan) Most rutting contests involve two male mammals, like the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis dallis), which ram into each other at high speed in order to impress a female sheep and win the right to procreate. These mammals tend to have unusually thick skulls and extra fluid surrounding the brain to prevent damage from the competition. Humans tend not to have such thick skulls and other natural adaptations, and therefore do not generally rut.
Of course man, the tool user, can find artificial means to overcome natural limitations. One well-known example of this behavior is the medieval jousting contest in which participants wear armor and ride horses toward each other at high speed.

The most recent observation of human rutting behavior occurred when two Taiwanese university students donned protective helmets and revved their motor scooters in an effort to impress a comely female of their species. The two were the same class, but not friends. Other classmates reported that both men fancied the same female student.

After indulging in a few drinks during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the two encountered each other, and words were spoken. The gauntlet was thrown down. In lieu of horses, the two would ride their motor scooters at each other at high speed, and the one who didn't turn away would win the exclusive right to pursue the female.

Obviously both were very keen on her, because neither of them turned away. Their scooters collided head-on at 50 mph. Both died instantly. The girl at the center of the rut refused to comment, other than to say that she "wasn't interested in either of them."

 

Hold That Bus!

2004 Darwin Award Nominee
Confirmed True by Darwin

(2 November 2004, Portland, Oregon) Dianne, a 56-year-old bus driver with 22 years of experience, pulled into the Sunset Transit Center shortly before noon. She was running six minutes late, and was eager to use the bathroom.
After waiting impatiently for her passengers to disembark, Dianne hurried off the bus, leaving the engine in gear and running, with no parking brake engaged. She walked around the front of the bus and reached in the driver's window to pull the lever that closed the door.

The bus is equipped with automatic brakes that keep it from moving as long as the doors are open. Once the doors shut, the brakes release after a one-and-a-half-second delay.

As Dianne passed in front of the bus on her way to the toilet, she suddenly found the 15-ton bus creeping slowly towards her. She could have jumped out of the way. In fact, she could have ambled out of the way. Instead, witnesses watched her push against the bus with her arms outstretched, in an effort to stop it.

The mass of a bus is more than 200 times the mass of an adult woman. You do the math. The bus did indeed stop, eventually, due to circumstances other than Dianne's efforts.

Paramedics arrived within minutes, to find Dianne dead beneath the bus.

An investigation blamed the accident on "operator error."