Charles Darwin with a purple swarm around his head, contemplating the twist of fate that natural selection sidestepped these still-living honorable mentions.

2004 Honorable Mention

Next Prev Random Honorable Mentions have misadventures that stop short of the ultimate sacrifice. Nevertheless we salute the spirit of their colossal blunders with an Honorable Mention. Better luck next time!

Testosterone, Chickens, and Guns
2004 Honorable Mention
Confirmed True by Darwin

(10 December 2004, Washington) Not far from the Eastern Washington State Hospital for the mentally handicapped, Zach, an 18-year-old "A" student in gun safety classes, decided to impress his girlfriend with his coyote hunting skills. He needed a live chicken as bait. So, girlfriend in one hand and .22 caliber rifle in the other, he entered the butchering barn where carefree chickens roamed.

You never know how mixing testosterone, chickens, and guns will turn out. There are so many variables.

Zach swung the rifle at a fluttering fowl, but the rafters got in the way. The gun butt hit the ceiling and discharged, sending a bullet into his right forearm and out the elbow. He didn't realize he had shot himself until he noticed his right hand twitching, and took his coat off for a closer look.

Zach shared the lesson he learned: "To know you shot yourself and came close to dying, it's a pretty scary deal. You've gotta be careful with guns."

DarwinAwards.com © 1994 - 2020
Submitted by: Chris Kelly
Reference: Spokane Spokesman-Review

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