Here are the world's most dangerous hobbies.
These forms of pastime will seem like death wishes.
Number 8: White Water Rafting Rafting seems like a fairly easy activity,
as all you do is navigate waters on an inflatable raft.
There are however, different levels based on river difficulty, with all the higher classes
involving white water or other bodies of rough water.
The environment varies, and participants have to face a multitude of challenges while maneuvering
through the rapid currents and big waves, all while avoiding smashing into huge rocks
and hazards.
The dangers stem from both environmental and behavioral factors.
Rapid rivers usually have fallen branches, trees, as well as dangerously high waterfalls.
If a person falls off the raft, one of their limbs could get caught in an entrapment, leading
to serious injuries or death.
Injuries are common in the form of broken bones and twisted ankles and knees.
Statistics show that half of all injuries occur inside the raft, so even if you don’t
fall off, you’re still not totally safe.
For this reason, white water rafting is certainly a hobby reserved only for adrenaline junkies
and thrill seekers who don’t mind getting hurt.
Number 7: Rock Climbing In the eyes of a rock climber, all mountains
exist to be climbed.
The goal is to reach the summit without falling, something that requires the greatest amount
of strength, endurance, and balance.
On top of that, the activity also tests the climber's concentration and mental control.
It is sometimes hard to comprehend why someone would choose such a perilous hobby, as every
element of this activity poses a great risk.
A fall could easily lead to death, or serious and paralyzing injuries.
Relatively minor injuries come in the form of broken bones, or torn muscles and ligaments.
Weather changes can also be lethal, as wet rocks from rainfall would become slippery
and hard to grasp.
If that isn't enough, some climbers would go even further as to remove all safety equipment,
trusting only their bodies to make the climb.
This is known as free soloing, and a climber would be supporting their entire body weight
using just their fingers and toes.
All it takes to slip is one small mistake.
In 2014, 36-year-old Brad Parker proposed to his girlfriend atop Yosemite's Cathedral
Peak after the pair had successfully made the climb.
The experienced climber described it as the happiest day of his life.
Unfortunately, it was also the last day of his life.
As the couple went different ways in the park, Parker went ahead to climb another peak without
ropes, and climbers saw him fall to his doom.
His body was recovered by park rangers the following day.
Number 6: Scuba Diving Scuba diving seems like a wonderful hobby,
where one gets to observe rich underwater marine ecosystems up close.
Experiencing beautiful marine life and coral reefs is definitely something worth spending
time and money on, and scuba diving has now become a popular recreational hobby with increasing
numbers of enthusiasts around the world.
But as wonderful as it sounds, scuba diving is not without its dangers.
Ascending upwards at a fast rate will lead to decompression sickness, also known as bends.
Bubbles may form and grow in the diver's body, causing damage by distending tissues and blocking
blood vessels.
Also there is always a risk of running out of oxygen if you're not careful enough, or
running into a dangerous predator lurking in the waters.
If you'd like to take it a step further, there's an extreme form of scuba diving where divers
visit underwater caves.
Cave diving is much more dangerous, as the currents are unpredictable, and visibility
is greatly impaired by sediments clouding the view.
You could also easily get lost, and once your equipment fails it would be the end.
In 1994, South African scuba diver Deon Dreyer drowned in the underwater caves of Bushman's
Hole after passing out due to what was assumed to be oxygen toxicity.
His dead body remained unrecovered for a decade.
In 2004, renowned Australian scuba diver David Shaw attempted to recover Dreyer's corpse
after 10 years.
Unfortunately, not only did Shaw fail, but he himself was killed in the process.
The very next day, both bodies floated up near the surface and were retrieved.
It was Shaw's 333rd dive of his career.
Number 5: Bull Riding Bull riding is a rodeo sport where a rider
tries as hard as he can to stay mounted on a bucking bull for a certain period of time.
The idea seems simple, but staying on top of an angry beast trying to buck you off is
no easy task.
Out of all rodeo sports, bull riding has the highest rate of injury and accounts to half
of all traumatic injuries suffered by rodeo contestants.
Still, bull riding is a great favorite among men wanting to show off their manliness.
Not only would a rider risk falling hard on the ground, there is also the high possibility
of being trampled on by the bull which could weigh up to 2000 pounds.
And let us not forget about the horns that could easily rip a hole through a fallen rider’s
body.
In July 1989, professional bull rider Lane Frost had completed a successful ride on a
Brahman bull in Wyoming.
After dismounting, the bull turned and hit Frost on the side of his body, causing him
to break several ribs.
Frost managed to get back on his feet and waved for help, but this time he was gored
directly in the chest by the bull's horn, puncturing his heart.
Doctors found the heart injury irreparable and he was pronounced dead.
Number 4: Bungee Jumping What could go wrong with jumping off a cliff
or bridge with a big elastic cord attached to your feet?
Apparently quite a lot, and the activity is not as safe as some think it is.
The thrill of such a hobby comes from both the free fall and the rebound.
After falling head first to the ground, the jumper would fly back up as the elastic band
recoils, and the person would continue to go up and down for a while, until they stop.
The injuries involved in bungee jumping could happen due to a mishap, or happen regardless
of safety measures.
For instance, a slight error in measuring the cord's length could result in the jumper
slamming into the ground.
The safety harness and cord could also break under poor maintenance, or if the jumper's
weight is miscalculated.
Also, whiplash injuries could occur as the jumper is jolted back up suddenly, leading
to a broken neck and subsequent death or paralysis.
Numerous other problems have happened related to cardiovascular problems due to the abrupt
rise in blood pressure.
This has occurred in young and fit people with no previous medical problems.
The aforementioned mishaps have all indeed happened leading to many recorded deaths and
permanent injuries for bungee jumpers.
For instance in 1986, back when modern bungee jumping was still relatively new, stuntman
Micheal Hush died instantly of multiple injuries after his bungee rope sprang loose from its
eyebolt.
The bungee jump was performed for a stunt on a BBC television show, and the tragic incident
led to the show's cancellation.
Number 3: Heli-Skiing The name itself pretty much explains what
it is all about: skiing down a snowy slope after jumping off a helicopter.
The reason why you need a helicopter in the first place is because this extreme sport
is only performed at off-trail areas that are otherwise not accessible by any other
means.
Passionate thrill seekers would often have to book a year in advance to leap off a helicopter
onto snowy peaks far away from human inhabitation.
The perils faced are mostly related to the unpredictable forces of nature which include
weather changes, avalanches, and tree wells.
Stranded skiers would have a difficult time surviving in the unforgiving temperatures,
and rescue attempts are extremely difficult.
The helicopter rides themselves are dangerous, and only experienced pilots are used.
In August 2015, 58-year-old Australian Roger Greville got buried in an avalanche while
heli-skiing near Queenstown, New Zealand.
Greville was the only one struck by the avalanche in his group.
He was found quickly by rescuers, but despite efforts to save him, he was soon pronounced
dead at the scene.
Number 2: Highlining We all know about tightrope walking, the skill
of walking along a wire or rope between two elevations.
Highlining is the extreme version of that, where the walking is done outdoors between
skyscrapers, gorges, rock formations, or other natural and man-made structures.
Highlining is not just simply tightrope walking on a higher elevation.
The wire is often not stabilized and taut, and crossing a slack wire is much more difficult
than a tight one.
Plus there is the absence of a safety net, and the winds at high altitude could easily
blow a highliner's balance off.
A safety harness is usually present, attached between the body and slack line itself.
But even that cannot fully guarantee a sky walker's safety.
In April 2015, American daredevil Dean Potter attempted to walk across a skyline 3000 feet
above the Yosemite Valley floor without any safety gear.
A dramatic footage of the insane attempt showed how he lost his balance and fell.
Luckily, he managed to quickly encircle the rope with his legs, and then pulled himself
back up with his arms.
He returned to the starting position and immediately made a successful second attempt.
Unfortunately for Potter, it seemed like death did not like being cheated.
He died the following month in a wing suit flight accident in the very same valleys of
Yosemite.
Number 1: Wingsuit Flying Imagine jumping off of a tall structure, and
rather than falling straight to the ground, you glide through the air like superman.
Wingsuit flying is a sport that does just that, using a wingsuit that adds surface area
to the wearer's body, thus enabling a significant lift enough to keep the person in the air
for a long period.
The wingsuit flier usually starts by dropping off a BASE jumping site, or exiting a flying
vehicle.
The gliding activity would then end with the deployment of a parachute.
The sport is not something someone could just try out on a whim.
The activity is extremely dangerous, and only those with an experience of at least 200 skydives
are allowed to legally try it.
Fatality rates from wingsuit flying are extremely high compared to other extreme sports.
Ever since its inception, the sport has caused many notable deaths of well known extreme
athletes across the world.
One of the most popular incidents was that of Dwain Weston who tragically ended his life
in October 2003 in a wingsuit flying accident in Colorado.
The 30 year old Australian was an expert skydiver and holder of the 2002 BASE jumping world
title.
He attempted the wingsuit flight by jumping off an airplane, while ignoring safety regulations
which required him to carry a reserve parachute.
Weston intended to go over Canon City's Royal Gorge Bridge, but instead hit its railing
after miscalculating the winds.
The tragedy was witnessed and filmed by spectators on
the bridge.