Read Death by Misadventure: 210 Dumb Ways to Die for Free Online

also enjoyed "dry firing", or pointing
unloaded weapons at each other and pulling the trigger. While
playing in bed to celebrate the wife's return from a trip, the
husband dry fired at his wife. The husband was killed,
however, when the woman reciprocated with a loaded weapon. It seems
that while the woman was away her husband loaded her gun for some
reason and forgot to empty it. The police officer in charge of the
investigation described dry firing as, "very poor
judgement." Associated Press, August
18, 1987
    101. Plum Creek Mobile Storm. Desert Storm veteran, Daryl Smallwood, 22, died during a New Year’s
party at a friend’s mobile home. Police say that Smallwood died
after a friend restrained him in a headlock for several minutes
during a quarrel with his wife. The Smallwood family denied that
the couple were having an argument and described the incident as
simple “rowdiness.” Charlotte
Observer, January 2, 1992
    102. Lush Death. Michael Lush, 25, died practicing a stunt he was to perform live on
a British television program, The Late,
Late Breakfast Show . The unemployed
construction worker was to escape from a suspended crate before the
crate exploded. During the fatal rehearsal, the crate did not
explode but fell 100 feet to the ground, killing its occupant. At
the time, the television network received 1000 applications weekly
from people wishing to perform similar stunts on the popular BBC
comedy program. Associated Press,
November 13, 1986
    103. Amazing Failure. On the 64th anniversary of the Great Houdini's death, "Amazing Joe"
Burrus, 32, attempted an escape from a Plexiglas coffin buried
under 3 feet of dirt and 3 tons of wet cement. Despite pleas from
friends and family and a dismal trial run, Amazing Joe went ahead
with his stunt before a crowd of 150 which included his wife and
two children. The coffin collapsed while the cement was still being
poured. Burrus was crushed inside. An acquaintance commented,
"Houdini practiced everything again and again and again. Joe didn't
... do obvious things like test the strength of the
casket..." Fresno Bee, November 2,
1990
    104. Black Magic. Aspiring escape artist, Aidan Burrows, 11, of London, England,
accidentally strangled himself trying to emulate his hero, Houdini.
Aidan's mother found his unconscious body on the floor of his
bedroom bound in chains and locks. Emergency technicians were
unable to revive him. Reuters,
November 23, 1994
    105. Games Girls Play. April Hough, 20, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the
head. Hough was playing Russian Roulette with a .38-calibre
revolver at a girlfriend’s house. Hough
lost. Charlotte Observer, February 11,
1992
    106. How to Impress Your Boss. Chan Mo Kwan, 19, died at a barbecue at his boss' Hong Kong
home after making good on his boast that he could drink an entire
bottle of brandy in one attempt. Chan passed out instantly and
never regained consciousness. Agence
France Presse, November 13, 1996
    107. Paddle Prank. Eighteen-year-old, Aaron Goebel, died during a romantic canoe
outing on Lake Eden in Alberta. Goebel and a friend were double
dating when the two young men decided it would be funny to strand
their girlfriends in the canoe by jumping out and taking the
paddles. The women paddled to shore by-hand; Aaron’s friend swam to
safety. And Goebel drowned when his feet got stuck in the lake’s
muddy bottom. Toronto Star, July 8,
1997
    108. Deadly Bridge Game. Gunnar Pilqvist Stephan, a 30 year old Swedish
sailor, died trying to race a drawbridge in Saint Malo,
France. Gunnar was trying to catch up with friends who had made it
across the bridge before it started to rise. Instead of turning
back he grabbed onto the edge and was lifted 130 feet in the air.
Gunnar lost his grip and was killed immediately upon impact with
the concrete below. Agence France
Presse, July 16, 1992
    109. Concrete Waves. Georgia teenager, Robert Johnson, 16, was killed surfing. Robert
caught a 55-mph wave on the roof of