Freak Accidents of 2024: A Year of Unlikely Tragedies
As the year 2024 comes to a close, Fox News Digital takes a look back at some of the most disastrous freak accidents that captured the nation’s attention. From a prank gone horribly wrong to a sudden electrocution in a swimming pool, these incidents left audiences wondering how they happened.
One such incident occurred when Barry Griffiths, a 57-year-old Welsh resident, attempted to separate frozen hamburger patties with a knife. The task turned deadly when Griffiths stabbed himself in the stomach, likely due to reduced mobility in one of his arms following a stroke.
In Tennessee, a Halloween prank ended in disaster when a 12-year-old boy was run over by a tractor while trying to scare other children on a hayride. The boy had possibly slipped and fallen underneath the wheels during the freak accident.
A professional skydiver, Carolina Muñoz Kennedy, 40, from Chile, plunged to her death after her parachute malfunctioned during a dive in Brazil. Her main parachute failed, and the reserve one opened with the lines twisted, causing her to spiral out of control before crashing behind trees.
Other freak accidents included a toddler being killed when a tree fell on him during backyard play in New Jersey, five swimmers being electrocuted while swimming in a pool in Indiana, and a park ranger dying after falling onto a rock at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
Additionally, a woman was killed after backing into an active airplane propeller while taking pictures at an airfield in Kansas, and a group of people were electrocuted while swimming in a pool in Maryland.
These incidents serve as a reminder of the unpredictability of life and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected.