My brother tore down old grain elevators when I was young. Where the trucks dump there is a pit about 15 feet deep with augers at the bottom. I was about 14 helping him and we had the grates off the pit. My brother had an older partner who happened to be on site that day. Anyhow I had my back turn to the pit and stupidly was stepping back to look at something. I had just placed my foot over the empty air when my brother's partner grabbed me. I wasn't even falling yet.

Anyhow at the moment I didn't even think about it. Was bit dangerous work overall. We worked with dynamite and heavy equipment after all. Was not till a few days later I woke at night in a start and just realized how close I came to being dead or at best in a wheel chair.

This was about 30 years past. I had only in my life meet his partner maybe 4 times but he happened to be on site that day. I had never told anyone this story as it was a non event at the time but I thought about it lots. My brother had informed me few years back that he had died. Natural causes. Certainly brought back that day and fully explained to my brother how he had literally saved my life.

Ernie if you are reading this, I do not know how to thank you enough. Wish I had mentioned it to my brother while you were still alive as I am sure he would have brought it up in polite conversation.