Wilford Woodruff's Accidents and Incidents

1810     fell into a cauldron of boiling water; took 9 months before his life was considered out of danger
1812     fell from the great beam of the family barn, landing face first on the floor
1812     broke his arm when he fell down the stairs when playing at home
1812     broke his other arm falling off uncle’s porch
1813     escaped being gored by a bull that wanted the pumpkin he took from it to give to his cow
1814     broke his leg in a sawmill accident; leg got caught between headlock and fender post
1814     kicked in the abdomen by an ox
1814     saved from suffocation after wagonload of hay he stacked incorrectly overturned on top of him
1815     uninjured when a horse bolted down a hill and flipped the wagon he was riding in
1816     fell 15’ from a tree, landed flat on his back, knocked unconscious; cousin told family he was dead
1819     rescued after drowning in 30 feet of water and “suffered much in being restored to life”
1820     almost froze to death in a blizzard; saved by passerby who found him in a hollow tree
1821     split open his foot with an ax “nearly clear through,” crippling him for nine months
1822     bitten by a rabid dog but the bite did not break through his skin
1823     thrown 16 feet over runaway horse’s head; broke left leg in 2 places; dislocated both ankles
1827     almost crushed when helping to de-ice wheels of sawmill and water was released
1831     almost crushed when helping to de-ice wheels of sawmill
1831     suffered a severe bout of pneumonia
1833     dragged headfirst between a team of horses for more than 300 feet with his sleigh on top of him
1834     a rifle accidentally discharged and the ball passed within a few inches of his body
1834     a heavily-loaded musket pointed at his chest was accidentally discharged, but misfired
1835     preserved from a mob of about fifty people, a black bear and a large pack of wolves
1835     rescued by divine intervention after wandering for 5 hours in a tremendous storm
1837     left unhurt when a tornado removed the building he was standing in
1839     thrown from the axletree of a wagon, head and shoulder were dragged on the ground for ½ mile
1839     contracted malaria but left for England to serve his mission with members of Quorum of Twelve
1841     survived shipwreck on Lake Michigan
1842     bedridden for 40 days with bilious fever and struggled between life and death
1843     survived train crash; passenger cars smashed, baggage cars caught fire, engineer killed
1844     had to help ship captain extinguish fire on board the ship he was traveling on
1845     inspired to disembark one steamer and take passage on another (the first later sank)
1846     hit in the head by mob throwing rocks at him while baptizing new convert; later baptized some of mob
1846     crushed by falling tree; broke breast bone and three ribs, caused severe internal injuries
1848     survived shipwreck on Lake Michigan
1848     inspired to move carriage and family from spot near tree; 30 minutes later whirlwind uprooted tree
1856     poisoned by infected animal; lost senses; was restored to health by priesthood blessing 
1859     severe lung fever “nearly blew out the lamp of life” “spirit fluttering between life and death”
1860     thrown from mule, head and shoulders hit ground and he was dragged behind the mule
1864     stung by a scorpion and felt the “shock through [his] whole system”
1872     dragged by runaway horse, but narrowly avoided being run over by the wagon
1873     mild stroke “it seemed to be paralysis and death”
1874     trying to prevent his son’s fall, fell 10 feet from a ladder and landed on his shoulder and hip
1879     severe bout of bilious colic; attacks took his breath away, didn’t think he’d live through one more
1881     thrown with 3 others from wagon; landed on hands and knees and saved another passenger
1886     mild heart attack or stroke; couldn’t see or speak for about 30 minutes; blessing restored him
1893     most severe bout of bilious colic “lay at the point of death”
1898     died from infection caused by botched medical procedure