We've all got that one mate who claims that they 'could have died' whenever they have a minor incident. Whatever their story, it is unlikely to top that of John Bridges, who somehow survived after being pulled into a jet engine while working as a flight deck crewman back in 1991.
John Bridges was just 21 years old when he was sucked into the intake of an A-6E aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt. Incredibly, he lived to tell the tale.
The youngster, who had some well-earned time off after the accident, was allegedly stuck inside the jet engine for around three minutes before it finally came to a complete stop.
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As seen in the video, Bridges was working too close to the jet and shot up inside, with a fellow colleague acting quickly to alert the pilot and stop the engine immediately.
Following the large explosion, which may well have helped to save his life, it would have been difficult to see how Bridges could have possibly survived, but he managed to walk away from the accident with only a broken collarbone, a burst eardrum, and some cuts and scrapes.
Watch below (at your own risk) the moment Bridges gets sucked into the engine:
Daniel P Streckfuss, another officer who was with Bridges at the time, explained how his colleague was able to survive.
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“I was attached to VFA-15 on board the USS Theodore Roosevelt during that deployment in 1991 What allowed him to survive was the design of the A-6 engine (the J-52)", he explained. "It has a long protruding ‘bullet’ or cone that extends in front of the first stage fans. When he was sucked in, his arm extended above his head which caused his body to wedge between the bullet and inside wall of the intake."
He also added: “Lucky for him, his helmet and coat were sucked in first, which prompted the pilot to cut the throttle.
“It took almost three minutes for him to push his way out of the intake after being sucked in.
"Needless to say, I don’t think he was seen on the flight deck for the rest of the cruise."
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The footage, which has been widely shared and has well over two million views on YouTube, is also reportedly still used in air force safety training classes today as an example of exactly what to do.
While this might be a little embarrassing for Bridges, and he certainly won't look back fondly on the incident, it is undoubtedly a better fate than most who are sucked into a jet engine.
James Moorhouse