Death comes in many forms—sometimes peaceful, sometimes tragic, sometimes dramatic, and at other times, just plain bizarre. In today’s article, we take a look at 10 Bizarre Deaths in the World.
1. Eaten By His Own Pigs
In 2015, Alexandru Pop, a farmer from north western Romania, was found dead by his relatives inside a pigsty. His half face was eaten off. An autopsy revealed that he died from severe haemorrhage.
There’s a strong indication that he slipped and the pigs attacked him. The man-eating pigs were destroyed and their bodies burnt after his relatives decided it would not be right to sell them into the food chain.
2. Killed By His Own Coffin
In 1982, Marc Bourjade, a French undertaker, unexpectedly died while working at his workshop. An investigation revealed that a pile of coffins fell on top of him. The average casket weight is about 200 pounds. It can weigh up to 450 pounds or more depending on the structure, material, and size of the casket. Fittingly, for Marc Bourjade, he was buried in one of the caskets that killed him.
3. Bitten By a Snake
In 2013, Peng Fan, a chef from Guangdong province in Southern China, died after a snake that he was preparing for a special dish bit him. Snake soup made from Indochinese spitting cobra is a rare delicacy, offered by high-end restaurants. Peng Fan was bitten by a cobra’s severed head which he’d cut off twenty minutes earlier. Snake expert, Yang Hong-chang, who has spent 40 years studying cobras, says all reptiles can function for up to an hour after losing body parts, or even their entire body.
4. Too Much Viagra
In 2009, Sergey Tuganov, a 28-year-old from Moscow, made a bet with two female colleagues that he could continue to satisfy them sexually for 12 hours straight. The two female colleagues agreed and a wild night began. To prepare for the task ahead, Sergey drank a whole bottle of Viagra pills. Needless to say, he was up for the full 12 hours. But just minutes after winning the wager, he suffered a heart attack. An ambulance was called, but paramedics couldn’t revive him.
5. Covered with Gifts
It’s very rare that a politician is well-loved, especially nowadays, but there was a time where it did happen. In 600 BC, Draco was the first recorded legislator of Athens who was incredibly well-liked, even though his laws were intensely harsh, thus the term “draconian.” While in a theater in Aegina, thousands of citizens were so thrilled to see him and they began throwing gifts. They kept throwing cloaks and hats, and they didn’t stop, even as the gifts began to pile up. The cloaks covered his body to the point where he could not even breathe. It did not take long before he was completely smothered by the gifts and died.
6. Impaled By a Swordfish
In 2015, Randy Llanes, a 47-year-old boat captain from Hawaii, died after a swordfish impaled him in his chest. According to a report, Llanes spotted a swordfish deep inside the harbor. Aware of the value of swordfish meat, Llanes seized the opportunity. He dived in and speared the fish, but the spear line became tangled with a boat’s mooring line. The swordfish spun around the mooring line like a tether ball, and suddenly reversed direction and impaled Llanes in the chest with its sharp bill. Broadbill swordfish are referred to as gladiators of the sea. They’re notoriously powerful and prone to fits of rage, especially after becoming hooked by anglers.
7. Struck By a Model Plane
In 2002, Roger Wallace, a model plane enthusiast from Tucson, Arizona, died after he was struck in the chest by his six-pound model plane. According to a report, Wallace was flying his five-foot-wingspan toy at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson when he lost sight of it in the bright sunlight. The plane raced towards him, but before he can take evasive action, the plane struck him in the chest. He suffered internal injuries that would ultimately prove fatal for the 60-year-old man.
8. Crashed By a Cow
In 2013, Joao Marie de Souza, a 45-year-old farmer from south-eastern Brazil, died after he was crashed by a 3000 pound cow. According to a report, the cow is believed to have escaped from a nearby farm, then walked onto the roof which connects a steep hillside. Unable to support the load, the roof caved in, and the cow fell 8 feet onto de Souza’s side of the bed. He was conscious and appeared to be in good condition when he was taken to a local hospital. Unfortunately, he had to wait too long before he can be seen by a doctor. He died the day after, due to internal bleeding.
9. Hit By a Robot
In 1979, Robert Williams, a 25-year-old from Michigan, was the first human to be killed by a robot. According to a report, Williams was gathering parts in a storage facility where the robot also retrieved parts. The robot’s arm hit him in the head, killing him instantly. His family sued, claiming that the robot had no safety mechanisms, lacking even a warning noise to alert workers that it was nearby. The court ordered the manufacturer of the one-ton robot to pay his family $10 million.
10. Jealous Wives
In 2012, Uroko Onoja, a Nigerian wealthy businessman and a husband of six, died after allegedly being forced into a marathon sex session with his “jealous” wives. An investigation revealed that Onoja had sex with the youngest of his spouses when the remaining five threatened him with knives and sticks and demanded that they too be granted their conjugal rights. Onoja went on to have sex with four of his wives in succession, but “stopped breathing” as the fifth wife was on her way to his bed. His youngest wife said that the five fellow wives ran into the forest when they realised their husband was dead. And these are the 10 Bizarre Deaths in the World.
