I saw my best friends boy die.

[Swede]

We were loading the truck to move some stuff and little Elliot ran into the traffic. I watched him roll under the truck like a bag of rags. I watched him bounce like a paper doll down the street. Next thing I knew I was standing over Elliot,blood was so bright red. His dad was laying bleside him saying NOOOOOO. Cops were there in 2 seconds. I have so much respect for them since then,honest they were there like that quick! Little Elliot had this foamy bright red blood coming out of his mouth,and this cop started mouth to mouth. Next thing I remember was sitting sedside this cop and he has dried blood on his mouth,we look at each other and start crying. Elliots mom comes around the corner and Earl tackles her,"Don't look hun"

[mikehiggins]

1. God that is horrible.

What a terrible, terrible thing to happen.

My heart goes out to you and to Elliot and to his mom and dad.

And to the cop.

How do people handle things like this without just dying themselves?

[dsc]

2. I am so, so sorry

I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child. You will be in my thoughts.

[grasswire]

3. wow, so very hard

Did this happen today?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. My goodness, how awful

Was this recently? Either way, how very tragic. My heart goes out to you and them. That had to be the worst thing you ever witnessed.

[JohnKleeb]

5. Thats so sad

Why just why. Why do so many die young. Its sad Swede it really is.

[Blue_Chill]

6. Oh Jesus that is horrible

My prayers go out to you and your friends family. No one should be made to suffer such pain, I can't even imagine it.

[Swede]

45. Thank you Blue_Chill

We have crossed swords on many subjects,and yet you are here for me my friend!

[eileen from OH]

7. Oh, God. . .

I can't even begin to imagine the pain.

I'm so sorry for you and your friend.

eileen from OH

[Swede]

8. It happened 14 years ago.

I can hear that BANG! and turn around like it was ike right now! I saw Elliots' mom today and it came back like,I feel guilty,why didn't I watch for 2 fucking seconds! 2 fucking seconds man.It cuts me to the bone.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. Some images never leave

I watched my best friend get murdered when I was 17. I see it in slow motion like it was yesterday. I'm 45 now.

[JohnKleeb]

12. NSMA I never knew

God flashbacks guys. Sigh I remember finding out my friend died, well he was an aquaintance but I remember. Funny thing is me and his one time best friend know each other fair and his girl lives in my neighbohood. I am constantly reminded of that.

[7th_Sephiroth]

19. reminds me of this fight i got into

the look on his face when he pulled the gun change to what it looked like when i (deep breath) did what i had to to defend myself

[flamingyouth]

20. I am so sorry

How truly horrible for you. :grouphug:

[blondeatlast]

49. Geez, something very similar happened with me.

Why, oh why, is it always in slow motion--just agonizing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. As a Former Medic I can tell you

there are imnages that never leave and this is one of them...

And yes, children are the hardest to let go... in the streets, in ambulances, in ERs and everywhere else...

[DoNotRefill]

32. Keep 'em breathing, stop the bleeding, treat for shock...

that's all you can do. Sometimes that doesn't work. :(

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

36. that's for sure. As a long-time 911-EMT and Navy Corpsman, I

can assure you. Sometimes, when God wants them, it does not matter what you do.
Sometimes, if it is not their time, well, it is not their time.

[bushedout]

50. So sad

[koopie57]

9. this is a very sad tale

and I thank you for being strong enough to share it with us. And I'm glad that we were here for you to share it with. Sometimes I think that my life is so tough and then someone like little elliot comes along and it puts things into perspective. Because of him I'll be a little nicer to another, and a little more gentle, and cut others more slack. It is all I can do, but maybe my slowing down and being a bit kinder will make a difference to someone and that will make a difference to another.

[Swede]

15. I have been here onDU for awhile and this just blurted out for the time.

Shelley has three more kids since that horrible day,and I cannot turn around without being any closer to them. They are like my own,GOd blessed me mayby or something,but I love those kids,like they were mine.

[Valerie5555]

11. Witnessing tragic mishaps involving children or even animals

that's gotta suck big time. :( :scared: :cry:

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

13. I know there's nothing that can be said of comfort

to you or those involved in this, other that you will all be in my prayers.

The pain will lessen, and the memory will fade in time. Be as strong as you can until this happens. And don't give in to the grief.

[PeakOil2008]

16. I'm so sorry...

Swede,

You and your friend and his family, the policeman and everyone involved have my thoughts and prayers.

[Swede]

17. I have never told any one this pain before.

It doesn't go away,time does not heal this shit.

[JohnKleeb]

18. I hope you find peace btw I pmed you

[Swede]

23. Thanx John,

I feel like a nerd to just let some friends know how crappy I feel sometimes. How can they understand that I was fucking there! I could just turn around and stop him from running.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. We all understand that you can't relive the past

Somewhere in our hearts we wish we could undo it. No nerdiness perceived over here if it's any consolation. I so totally get what has it be present now and then.

[JohnKleeb]

43. It sounds like PTSD

[southerngirlwriter]

28. time doesn't heal. But it can help.

It doesn't have to always cut you to the bone. It'll never go away or get very much better, but it can lose *some* of its power over you.

I found my best friend's body after he blew his brains out. We had the same birthday. His parents assumed we'd get married one day, because we were so close, and I had gone to their house to plan our double-birthday-party. It was two days before we turned 13.

I left with his parents to go buy crap for the party. Came home. He was downstairs, in the basement. I saw this bizarre arc of red and gray and black stuff on the wall. It took about three-quarters of a second before I realized it was his brains.

Suicide is the single most selfish act a human being can commit.

It ate me alive every day for years.

Now, I can talk and think about it, and while it hurts, it doesn't destroy me. I am not crying as I write this.

Swede, if you can't let yourself see a counselor, at least go to the self-help section of the bookstore and pick up something on grief. You sound PTSD to me. A series of EMDR treatments did wonders for me on the flashbacks. (EMDR is a treatment for post-traumatic stress that is simple and virtually painless and works well. Google for more information.)

We're all survivors, y'know? That's what's important -- we honor our dead by carrying on with the life that they couldn't or wouldn't.

[Swede]

38. Oh dude,I feel so sorry!

I didn't want to bring you down. Life is so fucking hard some times, and here I am moaning about something that happened so long ago. Let's not dwell.

[flamingyouth]

21. What a sad and awful story

Gives me chills. I'm so sorry for you and for this boy's family.

[Valerie5555]

22. Hope you didn't have any further reminders of the "incident" for

after a thing like that, some may end up with Post Trauma Stress Syndrome and need big time EMDR therapy or something. Egads.

[Swede]

25. Elliots grama drives up

she sez "Did he break his leg?" Dear god I had to tell her our little boy didn't make it. She colllapsed I barely caught her. I know this is 14 years ago but damn it hurts tonight.

[Valerie5555]

26. OMG Scarey stuff

:scared: :scared:

[Swede]

27. It feels ok telling you guys this.

I had this bottled inside for so long.

[Valerie5555]

29. Had known of a case where the feline "furkid" of someone I knew of

ended up "doing a Buddy Clinton," and going to the Rainbow Bridge, but luckily never actually witnessed that incident for I wasn't sure what I would have done in that case, considering how I fancied myself a "cat person." The cat, Spike wasn't neutered and was likely engaging in "risque and risky business."

Though any cat case wasn't comparable to those involving a person of any age, they are sad or :cry: in their own respects.

[Blade]

30. I remember...

when my good friend died in high school four years ago. He was driving down a dirt road, going about 85 mph, and his best friend was following behind him. When Joe realized he missed his turn, he put on his brakes and started going in reverse. Just then, Adam smacked his tank of a car at the back of Joe's car, killing Joe instantly.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I'm still fucked up from that. :cry:

[Swede]

34. Oh dude,I am so sorry to here that.

Time does not heals us,let them that say that try it.

[Swede]

31. ON top of everything else the dad thought I was making moves on the mom

Funeral,etc and dad was giving me a hard time for moving in on mom! I could not even hug her,while we buriid her son,Earl was gathering names of old boyfriends! I felt like killing him. In the end the cops came to Safeway and escorted him off the property. I always felt he was by my parked car,I stood up for him,and he thoughtI was after his wife. He snapped,So I can't really hate the guy,,butI do not understand why he turned on his friends.

[Booberdawg]

33. That is so heartbreaking and traumatic.

You held that in for 14 years? Why? That is something that is downright poisonous to hold in. I’m glad you got it out if this is the first time. Keep doing this. Tell more. Keep talking. What an awful and horrible experience to keep bottled up. I mean, really.

I’ve been there, but not in quite the same way. I watched my son die over 18 hours on life support and held him in his final minutes and told him it was okay to die and that I’d help him do it. That was after he’d fought as hard as he could and it was his decision to go to the other side and not mine. You see, they asked me to make that decision several hours earlier and it went completely over my head, because, it never, ever, occurred to me, for a second, that he wasn’t going to make it. So they kept him alive. And I was oblivious. At least for 18 hours.

I knew, but I didn’t. Does that make sense?

That was 5 ½ years ago. I can still see it today. But it does not haunt me. It still hurts me to see it, but it does not haunt me like your vision does. I talked about it then and still do now, and you are just now revealing your nightmare. Please. Get it out. The memory can only poison you if you don’t.

Take care of yourself properly, my friend.

Linda

[Swede]

39. Oh Sweety

I will never forgive myself,I know I have to. Why couldn't I have been there?

[Booberdawg]

41. You have no other choice but to forgive yourself. That is a fact.

you were not responsible for his death. You had no control over that. That is another fact.

Check your PM

[Booberdawg]

42. Sleep peacefully. Swede

[Swede]

35. I see my post and I feel shame.

Sorry folks. There is so much to celebrate,my friend died so long ago and i am bringing good posts down.

[Booberdawg]

37. Stop that

Get it out.

[Bertha Venation]

44. No shame, Swede.

No shame. Dismiss the thought.
:hug:

[Cooley Hurd]

40. Tragic, Swede, utterly tragic...

That's a memory that even time couldn't cleanse - as long as one lives.

I'm terribly sorry that it happened, and that you were a witness to it.

[populistmom]

46. Damn it

I think I'm going to forget this post. Makes me too sad. This is my nightmare.
Sorry you had to go through this.

[Swede]

47. I love you guys!

I got so many PMs overnight. I was feeling stupid for spilling my pain last night,now I feel so good knowing that I have real FRIENDS! here at DU.

[UrbScotty]

48. Wha...?!

I am shocked.

[HEyHEY]

51. .......

That's terrible that you had to see that Swede. I can't say anything else...there really isn't anything to say.

[Swede]

52. Thanks dude.

There are times when I don't want to get close to a relative when they have a little one. But I when I open up to my little friends I get 10 times back! I treasure every second of every movie that my little niece forces me to sit beside her and watch Chickenrun for the 11th time!