Could A PaintBall Kill you?

[Beemer]

What do you think?

"It is thought to be the first death associated with the sport in either the UK or the United States."

"Mark Berry, a team-mate, told the inquest that Mr Costin was shot in the neck from just eight to 10 yards away during the game."

"A post mortem revealed that Mr Costin suffered a major stroke probably triggered by the velocity of the paintball."


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1628682.stm

[ß?µ£ §mµ®ƒ]

Are you trying to ask probability? It could hit you mid neck right on the spine and cause internal bleeding or hemmoraging into the spinal canal or it disloadges a disc etc. Get a throat shot and you're adams apple collapses/ your cricoid area and your airway collapses. Hit in the family jewels and the tremendous shock that you can get when your nerves overload with input of pain. Yes it could kill you. But this is why we wear protection :D

[Toll]

Depends at the velocity it was fired/your health/were it hit you

A ball going 450 fps hitting you in the temple when you don't have a mask could cause some serious damage. Anything moving 450 a second would cause some damage.

If you're a 20 something it might just really, really hurt. If you're 50 or 10, it could cause more damage progressively. The same goes for being shot in the heart and having it stop your heart or the excitement of it giving you a heart attack.

[Beemer]

Yes it could kill you. But this is why we wear protection :D

Yes but is your protection enough?

Smaller head and face masks, decreased range, same FPS and Increased ROF.

[ß?µ£ §mµ®ƒ]

Cup, throat protector, knee pads elbow pads, turtle cap and ski mask. basically every part is covered by soft padding. How protected can you get? I ride motorcycles, for that its boots leathers CE padding helmet and gloves. Risk is granted. Waivers for rational people.

I'm more worried about a tank exploding than a paintball causing injury. But both are held with caution

[grEnAlEins]

I don't know if a paintball could kill me or anyone. This is one case, and could be a coincidence. I have been shot in the neck from fairly close on a few occasions. It hurts and all, but I have yet to die from it. This is not to say that death is outside of the realm of possibility, but I am not sure how strong of a link there is, even in this situation.

That being said, I am not about to find out. I will continue to "goggle up" and take other appropriate safety measures. If it is possible, it can and will happen. The example you posted (talking to Beemer here) may or not be a direct link. They guy could have eaten one too many sausage links for all we know, and the swelling from the hit was the straw the broke the camel's back. I do not think that one impact from a 3g projectile traveling under 300fps has the ability to kill by itself. I think that it must be part of a culmination of several events. I am not trying to downplay the hazard here, but I am saying that so long as safety measures are utilized, there should be no problem. In the example of this gentleman, there could have been a long standing circulatory problem. These often go undetected (example: How many times have you heard of a HS/college athlete dropping dead due to a heart attack at age whatever? Many.). I guess I just do not see a paintball being the sole cause of death. There must have been another unseen factor.

This is a really sad story though... I feel for his family :(

[Tao]

Well it depends not necessarily on velocity, but on the force it exerts. We all now a slower moving paintball wich does NOT break hurts way more than if it exploded. I am no doctor, but I understand that you can die simply from severe eye trauma so we can say being shot in the eye at all (let alone point blank) can kill you.

If you bruise easily (or maybe even normally) getting hit in the jugular or in the wind pipe could kill you to, but the swelling preventing you from breathing or cutting off circulation to the head.

[Lohman446]

There is general risks in every activity one takes part in. I am far more likely to be seriously injured / killed skiing (one of my other hobbies) than I am playing paintball. I am far more likely to be killed at work than I am playing paintball. Do I beleive, through a serious of incredibly bad luck, that I paintball could seriously injure or kill me? Sure, but I consider the risk so low that I have no problem stepping out onto the field. Just to quote the article


"It was not the paintball itself but the general activity and engaging in that game that set off a chain of reactions.

So, do I think a paintball could kill me? Sure, I think it would be naive to think that it is totally outside of the realm of possibility. But do I think its likely to happen, or even a high enough chance to quit playing? No, I actually don't.

Considering the article mentions a person with a preexisting condition, and I would say a failure of medical science to recognize the problem (considering there was a doctor involved before the gentelmen died) probably carries far more blame in an unfortunate incident than the paintball itself.

Even in this unfortunate incident, its not the paintball itself that is blamed. Unfortunately it is being used as an example, and is poor at best.

[surfbum]

this is a pointless poll

of course a paintball can kill someone, but so can a baseball bat, or a shoe, or a piece of paper, or anything else

the fact that a paintball can be used to kill somebody means nothing in terms of its safety during the game of paintball

[zazzoo]

May i ask what are all these threads for? are you doing a survey or something? :confused:
but yes im sure a paintball could kill someone but its a rare chance but anything could happen

[Beemer]

Even in this unfortunate incident, its not the paintball itself that is blamed. Unfortunately it is being used as an example, and is poor at best.

So you think. I think there is more there then we know. Of course it wasnt the paintball thats not what we want to hear or what they want to tell you.

[REDRT]

I figure since I've already taken a bullet to the head with countless other head injuries that should have been more severe according to the experts over the years it is quite possible my head is the safest place for me to get hit. :D But I still wear all the right stuff because I figure why be stupied? As long as I'm wearing a mask and other PB gear designed for my protection it isn't that I believe that a paintball can't kill me. It is more I believe it is very, very small on the list of things I do that could.



/ before I'm asked. It was 1989 and I was shooting one of my .22 cal rifles at a friends home. No big deal we were target shooting as normal after school. I had a round not go off so I waited a few seconds til I thought it was ok to open the action. I then ejected the round. Before it hit the ground it did go off. The bullet struck me in the head below the conner or my right eye. It broke the skin but deflected off my head. Neither the shell casing or the bullet was ever found. Both my friend and I were in shock due the chain of events. Maybe him more so tham me. I was blind and I would be for several days, but I managed to walk home on my own to get help.

[Lohman446]

So you think. I think there is more there then we know. Of course it wasnt the paintball thats not what we want to hear or what they want to tell you.


There was an official inquest into it which determined such. If we are going to start ignoring selective parts of that article I could simply state that just because someone wrote that it happened I don't even beleive it happened.

[txaggie08]

Either a direct blow to the temple or a direct blow to the larynx could cause sufficient damage, at close range, to cause serious injury.


There also exhists a small possibility of an cnurism forming due to a direct blow. Unlikely in the extreme but....

[CoolHand]

Given my penchant for dangerous hobbies and the fact that I work in heavy construction, the chances of me dying from a paintball impact are quite small.

The chances of me dying of something else entirely is quite a big larger.

I'll worry about the big chew me up stuff first, if you please. ;)

[cyrus-the-virus]

Can a paintball kill a person? yes of course, but not by it's self. Just like a gun can't kill someone by it'self. and a car can't crash it'self.

[Beemer]

If we are going to start ignoring selective parts of that article I could simply state that just because someone wrote that it happened I don't even beleive it happened.

No not ignored at all. Lets just say on purpose. :ninja:

Right, so if I said a Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer or who ever told me this or that, you could just say BS. I made it up. Guess I need to put up EH. I have some permissions to use names and quotes and some not. Its the not ones I need to work on. :ninja: Besides the lurkers are looking.

[paint magnet]

A single paintball under 300 fps at any range? Probably not, unless it's Proball.

A rapid succession of hits (like when Chris Lasoya bunkered a guy and shot him 15 times in the head and gave him a concussion)? Quite possible.

[fatkidfrank]

Getting hit in the throat and having a stroke are two totally seperate problems. I could understand if the impact of the ball ruptured/disected his carodid artery and he bleed to death from it. but the rupture a blood vessel in the brain from being shot in the neck sounds a little fishy. more likely he hit the ground after the shot and that caused a blood vessel to tear and caused the CVA(stroke).

But answer the question, sure a paintball could kill you. Hell you could die from paper cuts if you really wanted too. I mean drinking too much water is hazardous for your health why wouldn't a like blue ball flying at 275-300fps be potentially dangerous.

[grEnAlEins]

Getting hit in the throat and having a stroke are two totally seperate problems. I could understand if the impact of the ball ruptured/disected his carodid artery and he bleed to death from it. but the rupture a blood vessel in the brain from being shot in the neck sounds a little fishy. more likely he hit the ground after the shot and that caused a blood vessel to tear and caused the CVA(stroke).
A blood vessel rupturing is an aneurysm. I stroke is interrupted blood flow. If a vessel were hit, and the vessel "walls" were to swell... the blood flow to the brain certainly could be interrupted (and the flow does not have to stop, it just has to slow the flow to the point that the brain is short of oxygen). The paintball most certainly could have been a major factor. It should be noted that the individual did have prior circulatory issues too...

[Lohman446]

A blood vessel rupturing is an aneurysm. I stroke is interrupted blood flow. If a vessel were hit, and the vessel "walls" were to swell... the blood flow to the brain certainly could be interrupted (and the flow does not have to stop, it just has to slow the flow to the point that the brain is short of oxygen). The paintball most certainly could have been a major factor. It should be noted that the individual did have prior circulatory issues too...

The article specifically states that the inquest into it found the paintball was not the cause...

[cledford]

This is the second time I've heard of someone being shot in the neck/base of skull and dying - don't know if it is the same incident or not.

That having been said - ANYTHING can kill someone - there have been cases of watermelons dropped from windows that killed people…

There is a case where a BB, yes a simple .177 caliber BB, shot from a fairly generic rifle (ie, not one considered "adult" or high powered") was shot a kid over 60 feet away and killed the victim. Before seeing the piece on one of the news digest shows (20/20 or the like) you would have NEVER convinced me that a BB could penetrate, much less kill someone, especially at that distance - but it did. They even had the shooter who admitted to what he did...

So that having been said - there have been many, many millions of paintballs fired at and striking humans over the last 25ish years or so. A number of these were in the days before chronographs (I personally started playing in 84ish and played at legit fields for over 3 years before I saw my first chrono – another player brought it as “gee whiz” kinda thing), FPS limits (which were 350 to 375 when they were fist enacted in the north east) or appropriate safety gear (read shop goggle, no face, ear or throat protection) and how many deaths total during that time? One? Maybe two?

Anything can kill you - that is the nature of life - nothing is perfectly safe. Someone at work recently lost her husband due to a skateboard accident. They had purchased a skateboard for their son for Xmas and dad was trying to out in front of the house and simple fell off. Hit his head and that was it... We're not talking about riding a half-pipe here or rail sliding a rail down flight of steps – we’re talking the driveway. "Stuff" happens... Don't know what else to say but will suggest this, if the percentage of fatalities to users is staggering low statistically speaking then I believe it is stupid to call something "dangerous," "deadly," or other terms that don't accurately describe the real risk – just because you could “possibly” get hurt or die. I'd guess that statically speaking you've got a much better chance of dying when taking a commercial flight - however we don’t call flying "deadly" or "unsafe."

-Calvin

[RRfireblade]

Could? Mmm , anything is possible in some form , like say a splinter in your big toe ;) but highly unlikely IMO.

This story being the first 'potential' related apparently has no connection of death and the impact of a paintball at all , according to the Doctors quotes.


The sudden movement being surprised by an attacker could have caused this."

"It was not the paintball itself but the general activity and engaging in that game that set off a chain of reactions.



Sounds like any sudden suprise would have killed this guy , even a close call on the drive home.

If his heart condition was that fragile I'm guessing he had no business at all in such a high stress activity in the first place. Pretty sure my 92 year old Granpappy shouldn't play either. :D

[Lohman446]

Touching a metal door knob could kill you, I mean what if a wire has broken near it and is touching the door, and electricity is going through it and....

Do I dismiss the idea that a paintball could kill someone? No But as stated there have been millions upon millions of paintballs fired at people so far....

[grEnAlEins]

The article specifically states that the inquest into it found the paintball was not the cause...
That is why I never said that the paintball was at fault... Thanks for the heads up though :confused:
All I said is that is could contribute to restricting of blood flow. I did not even relate it to this specific situation... I was merely explaining to whoever it was that a stroke does not necessarily occur in the brain, and that it has nothing to do with the rupturing of a blood vessel. That was my point in the post you quoted.
I also made it clear above that I doubt the paintball was at fault in this situation, as I see now way that it could cause enough swelling to seriously restrict the flow of blood to the brain. I cited the example of my being shot in the throat/neck from closer than the gentleman in the article and my having a definitive lack of a stroke.

[Walrus]

I am not voting for such a silly poll as described by everyone else. I can attest that I have seen someone get shot point blank in the next on break by their own teammate during rec ball. It broke the skin and dude was pissed, but he still lived although he said it hurt pretty bad. Luckily the shooter got thrown out since he was being a prick and wasn't being safe (should have had the barrel on the starting pole, not up in the air pointed at someone's face). Like stated before, "stuff" happens and you need to deal with it.

I also had a friend who's uncle committed suicide back when we were in high school. He purposely shot himself in the head with a pellet gun. The pellet shred and the tiny fragments went through his brain. It took him a good 3 days to die and it wasn't pleasant for him or his family.

Back to the topic, it was a terrible tragedy and I am sorry it happened. Peace be with the family.

[[echo]]

im not sure a paintball could - but a 9ox Co2 tank could and has.. last september one exploded and flew 40 feet accross the field and hit me twice, yup 2 times, it was spinning a like a helecopter blade and whacked me in the ehad.. 30+ stitches later and a severe concussion - i live... although had i been abour 2 inches closer to my destination i'd prolly be dead. :ninja:

[68magOwner]

I have knocked out two full grown men with paintalls shooting under the legal 300fps limit. I have no doubt that enough paintballs, in the right place, COULD kill a person. Do I think its practical or probable? No, not at all. I feel perfectly safe playing the game of paintball.

[fatkidfrank]

A blood vessel rupturing is an aneurysm. I stroke is interrupted blood flow. If a vessel were hit, and the vessel "walls" were to swell... the blood flow to the brain certainly could be interrupted (and the flow does not have to stop, it just has to slow the flow to the point that the brain is short of oxygen). The paintball most certainly could have been a major factor. It should be noted that the individual did have prior circulatory issues too...

atcually a stroke CVA is a ceribral vascular accident. The key word is ceribral meaning head. it is caused by a disecting vien or artery in the brian or a clot. so an aneurysm can be anywhere. aorta, femoral arteies it doesn't matter. a stroke or brain attack is specifically ment for the brain. a ruptured carodid artery would be a disected artery leading to an aneurysm and then the blood flow to the brain would be cut off. it is totally different than a stroke. Lack of oxygen to the brain do to a bleed anywhere else in the body would fall more in the asphyxiation catagory not so much a stroke.

[hitech]

I voted no, even though I believe that anything is possible. However, if I believe that a paintball impact could kill me then I would not play. Of all the things I do I think it is probably the least likely to kill me. :D

:cheers:

[Pneumagger]

Did the paintball kill this guy? Maybe... but not probably.

To end the "Can a paintball kill you?" debate...
Let me deep freeze a paintball shoot you in the head with my modified Classic mag (which lacks overpressure relief) running unregulated air. - you'd die.
Try and swallow a paintball, choke - you die.

Now that is a quite extraneous sequence of events, but nevertheless, you are dead and a paintball killed you. Playing the game, as intended by the rules, mitigates nearly all chances of death from paintballs. Although, logic would suggest that even normal gameplay poses some quantitative probability (however infintesimal) of death occurring from a shot.

[68magOwner]

a skull is pretty freaking hard/thick, im not sure if even a deep frozen paintball to the head would kill you. But, im sure a deep frozen paintball in the right place would.

[hitech]

I've been hit in the head with a frozen paintball before. I've been shot at over 400 fps before (and refused to continue to play, BTW). I've been shot in the neck, unprotected, from a few feet. I know someone who was shot in the adams apple from a few inches (yes, inches). I was there when he was shot. None of these caused lasting injuries. My neck bled for awhile and the adams apple shot kept him from talking for awhile, but nothing lasting more than an hour.

[Pneumagger]

I've been hit in the head with a frozen paintball before. I've been shot at over 400 fps before (and refused to continue to play, BTW). ...
That actually explains alot.

[hitech]

That actually explains a lot.

I thought that might clear a few things up for a few people. Think it will help me out any with the misses?!?

:cheers:

[68magOwner]

I've been hit in the head with a frozen paintball before. I've been shot at over 400 fps before (and refused to continue to play, BTW). I've been shot in the neck, unprotected, from a few feet. I know someone who was shot in the adams apple from a few inches (yes, inches). I was there when he was shot. None of these caused lasting injuries. My neck bled for awhile and the adams apple shot kept him from talking for awhile, but nothing lasting more than an hour.

freezing paintballs does not make them any harder, fills are freeze resistant and putting paint in the freezer will do nothing other than make it A LOT more brittle. But, DEEP freezing ought to make them solid.

[Beemer]

atcually a stroke CVA is a ceribral vascular accident. The key word is ceribral meaning head. it is caused by a disecting vien or artery in the brian or a clot. so an aneurysm can be anywhere. aorta, femoral arteies it doesn't matter. a stroke or brain attack is specifically ment for the brain. a ruptured carodid artery would be a disected artery leading to an aneurysm and then the blood flow to the brain would be cut off. it is totally different than a stroke. Lack of oxygen to the brain do to a bleed anywhere else in the body would fall more in the asphyxiation catagory not so much a stroke.

Stroke....Also called apoplexy, CerebroVascular Accident.[CVA] A blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply and, depending on the extent and location of the abnormality, such symptoms as weakness, paralysis of parts of the body, speech difficulties, and, if severe, loss of consciousness or death.

Sounds just like the symptoms he had. No doubt it was a stroke.

aneurysm also aneurism. A localized, pathological, blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel caused by a disease or weakening of the vessel's wall. A cardiovascular disease characterized by a saclike widening of an artery resulting from weakening of the artery wall. An abnormal blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel and especially an artery resulting from disease of the vessel wall.

[Beemer]

I thought that might clear a few things up for a few people. Think it will help me out any with the misses?!?
:cheers:

No she already knows you are a lost :ninja: cause but Loves you anyway. :spit_take
Really, you dont need any help. ;) But hey how is she[you] doing now? Good to see ya posting.

Peace Out

[Beemer]

I voted no, even though I believe that anything is possible. However, if I believe that a paintball impact could kill me then I would not play. Of all the things I do I think it is probably the least likely to kill me. :D

:cheers:

Hmmm, I believe it and know it and I will still Play. But of course as others have said, stats, probability, average, bla bla means it wont happen. Right? At least not to me. Of course I should be dead already anyway so what do I care. Once in the Rockies at 14000FT on skies. Once in the Rockies again on a fast bike, gotta watch those curves. And once in a Fast car[Beemer] on a winding road. Damn curves. Its a need for speed thing with me. Still have the skis, still have the bike. Drive a truck now but it will do three digits. :argh:

Ya I agree its the least likely to get me to. But unless Paintball gets SMART again it will happen. Just like with screw in tanks, we Knew. It just took 15 years. Non the less two people are still dead because of it.

20 years and no real governing body. Standards that arent followed. Ya why do I still love it when it got so stupid.

Peace Out

[Beemer]

Playing the game, as intended by the rules, mitigates nearly all chances of death from paintballs.

Oh but by what rules? I would argue as intended by current standards. But those arent followed, so where does that leave us?

I would also argue that back when we were smart headshots didnt count. And in fact were discourged and frowned upon, range was longer and the ROF was WAY less.

Oh ya to add.. non of that Really matters anyway its still only one ball that will do the damage.

[Pneumagger]

Oh but by what rules? I would argue as intended by current standards. But those arent followed, so where does that leave us?

I would also argue that back when we were smart headshots didnt count. And in fact were discourged and frowned upon, range was longer and the ROF was WAY less.
You can't blame an institution or governing body if the rules aren't followed. Insurance companies do what they can in thier power to set guidlines for fields to follow as well as manufacturers distributing safety information with products.

At that point it is your responsibility to play with participants who
a) Use ASTM certified safety equipment
b) Observe the "Field Rules" which are almost always posted and usually include anti-bunkering, FPS, BPS, and other safety restrictions.
c) Realize that safety is a team effort - not individual.

There's alot people can do to to be safe around other's that shouldn't be the institution's responsibility. It generally requires some effort and in gereral people are lazy and prefer to whine instead. Plain and simple, in the end - it's your responibility to be safe, not the NPPL's, PSP's, etc.

At some point in history people began sitting back and passing thier responsibilities on to others to worry about. Then ***** about the decisions they should've made themselves. IMO that is main the reason the world is going down the pooper.

[Beemer]

You can't blame an institution or governing body if the rules aren't followed. Insurance companies do what they can in thier power to set guidlines for fields to follow as well as manufacturers distributing safety information with products.

At that point it is your responsibility to play with participants who
a) Use ASTM certified safety equipment
b) Observe the "Field Rules" which are almost always posted and usually include anti-bunkering, FPS, BPS, and other safety restrictions.
c) Realize that safety is a team effort - not individual.

There's alot people can do to to be safe around other's that shouldn't be the institution's responsibility. It generally requires some effort and in gereral people are lazy and prefer to whine instead. Plain and simple, in the end - it's your responibility to be safe, not the NPPL's, PSP's, etc.

At some point in history people began sitting back and passing thier responsibilities on to others to worry about. Then ***** about the decisions they should've made themselves. IMO that is main the reason the world is going down the pooper.


Well there is no true Governing body. ASTM would be the institution. Guess who put down the ASTM standards. As in who is, was on the ASTM subcommittie past and present. I can mention names on that but it dont matter. IMHO the safety information is fruitless when the product doesnt meet the institutions SAFETY standards that they put down. But they dont HAVE to. It will change when the CPSC has to step in and no one will like that.

I disagree. SAFETY isnt team untill everybody is informed and educated and on the same page. Whos responsibility is that? I guarenty most if not all guns are as safe as mine in the safe zone. I cant go around and check em all now can I. I have to trust you to make your gun safe.[individual] Its not hard but nobody cares. Oh its ok nothing bad has happened yet. Hind sight is 20/20

[Pneumagger]

You know what's ironic... hindsight is 20/20 - even if you lose one. :eek:

[Beemer]

You know what's ironic... hindsight is 20/20 - even if you lose one. :eek:

:rofl: Thanks I needed that. :cheers:

If a small stone makes a little ripple, what will a lot of small stones do all at once? :argh:

[RogueFactor]

:rofl: Thanks I needed that. :cheers:

If a small stone makes a little ripple, what will a lot of small stones do all at once? :argh:

Make allot of little ripples all at once :D ;) I kid, I kid. :cheers:

[Beemer]

Make allot of little ripples all at once :D ;) I kid, I kid. :cheers:

I got a big boat so its :spit_take okay. But there will be very little space between the ripples. :ninja:

[Lenny]

Beemer's a mod? Huh. Never knew. Cool.

[grEnAlEins]

Beemer's a mod? Huh. Never knew. Cool.
Me neither...

Beemer, these are great threads! I love seeing the discussion unfold, especially on something like safety standards (which I always thought were common sense, and therefore universal). I guess "common sense" might not be so common :confused: [shrugs]

[hitech]

But hey how is she[you] doing now?

Things are getting back to "normal" (not that I'm sure what that is). Her strength is returning. She only goes straight to bed when I get home from work one night a week now. We have taken weekend trips and she was her usual whirlwind during the preperation. They told us it would likely be two years before she fully recovers. Now I can see why. Only eight months to go...

Thanks for asking. :D

:cheers:

[hitech]

20 years and no real governing body. Standards that arent followed...so stupid.

I'll agree with ya there. If it wasn't for the fact that field owners feel the need for insurance coverage things might be a lot worse. Then again, my local field has dropped the "semi auto only" part of the mandatory morning speech. They don't say anything about allowing ramping, but that part is missing (I was listening for it as I almost have it memorized ;) ).

[hitech]

freezing paintballs does not make them any harder, fills are freeze resistant and putting paint in the freezer will do nothing other than make it A LOT more brittle. But, DEEP freezing ought to make them solid.

Trust me, they were solid! Also, remember, I am talking about the late eighties. The fill formula might have been different and the shells certainly seemed different. Paintballs of today store MUCH better than those did.

[bryceeden]

I voted no, even though I believe that anything is possible. However, if I believe that a paintball impact could kill me then I would not play. Of all the things I do I think it is probably the least likely to kill me. :D

:cheers:

I had to vote no, could it happen in a far off stupid never going to happen event maybe(after all there is one reported case of a guy dieing from a paper cut) but I'm going to have to say no a single paintball fired at 300 fps or lower could not kill a person. Think about all the people that play and how long its been going for and it still has never happened so I'll have to go with no.

[Beemer]

Beemer, these are great threads! I love seeing the discussion unfold, especially on something like safety standards. [shrugs]

Hey thanks but there are some who would think otherwise. :ninja:

[Beemer]

I had to vote no, could it happen in a far off stupid never going to happen event maybe(after all there is one reported case of a guy dieing from a paper cut) but I'm going to have to say no a single paintball fired at 300 fps or lower could not kill a person. Think about all the people that play and how long its been going for and it still has never happened so I'll have to go with no.


Ya it will never happen. Lets just be reactive instead of proactive. A screw in tank will NEVER kill anybody either. But a mother of two and a 16 year old boy are now Dead because of it. But it will NEVER happen.


Peace Out.

[grEnAlEins]

Ya it will never happen. Lets just be reactive instead of proactive. A screw in tank will NEVER kill anybody either. But a mother of two and a 16 year old boy are now Dead because of it. But it will NEVER happen.
And nobody in Madrid would dream of putting oil in his tank, over pressurizing it, and doing so after replacing the relief/blowout valve with a plug. Even in this case, the tank would NEVER explode, and the shrapnel would certainly NEVER hurt anyone. :rolleyes: :(
I guess some people really do not understand that Murphy's Law does exist... :)

[bryceeden]

Like I said, a single paintball fired at 300fps or below hitting someone with all the proper safty gear will never and can never kill a person. Now if we monky with that and take away the safty gear, or shoot them 3000 times point blank, of what ever things could change but no way a single(or even 2-3) ball could kill a person.

[hitech]

Something I've always wondered. How many consecutive impacts would it take to cause a "dangerous" injury to "sensitive" areas that are not normally covered by REQUIRED safety equipment? The problem is that I don't think anyone know how many or if it even will or won't.

[calebh]

call me stupid, but ive been playing for my 3 years with minimal safety equipment. my aci jersey (havent even seen anything from aci in a couple of years) is from the days when a jersey thicker than a tshirt could be considered excessive padding. (still is, imo) good luck finding many of those now ;) my redz pants have simple reinforced stitching from the knees down, and this thin vinyl stuff for the rest of it. i do have a small throat protector hanging from my mask, but it hasnt done much good. i took a good shot to the neck from about 6 feet away anyway. it looked like a really bad hickey lol. other than that, nothing. no pads, no cup, no gloves, no hat. just a good quality mask.

granted, i have a huge pain tolerance and i dont play proffesionally, or even in regular tourneys. but i do recball with some tourney players on ocassion. never had a problem before, and im not anticipating any. in a game when you can get shot on a foot, pod, or hopper sticking out, youre likely only gonna take a body hit on the move or walking off the field. ive taken more painful shots sitting on the sidelines of a game and on the occasional reffing job than while playing.

as for getting killed by a paintball... i dont think its possible to get killed only by a paintball hit. multiple hits, maybe. still not likely, imo. id be more worried about being injured while playing golf than getting any kind of injury from paintball. and the statistics back me up

[Desega]

Something I've always wondered. How many consecutive impacts would it take to cause a "dangerous" injury to "sensitive" areas that are not normally covered by REQUIRED safety equipment? The problem is that I don't think anyone know how many or if it even will or won't.


Lasoya gave a kid a concusion afew years back from massively over shooting with an illegal marker so aparently it can happen but it was ALOT of shots fired VERY close. But one ball I'd have to say no, can't kill you.

[CoolHand]

Lasoya gave a kid a concusion afew years back from massively over shooting with an illegal marker so aparently it can happen but it was ALOT of shots fired VERY close. But one ball I'd have to say no, can't kill you.

Concussion != Death

I've wrecked race cars, I've hit my head hard enough to have a concussion, and I don't buy for a second that a paintball impact alone caused a concussion.

Now, getting bunkered, surprised, and then freaking out and falling on your head because you got hit by a paintball and giving yourself a concussion? That I'd buy.

It takes a pretty good lick to accelerate your skull fast enough that your brain can't keep up and smashes into the bone hard enough to make a bruise.

I guess if you had a whole bunch of them hit all at once the equations might work out, but otherwise, meh.

[zazzoo]

Well a paintball cant kill me but some of these other guys on this forum im sure it could :ninja:

[Beemer]

I thought this thread was gonna die but since it didnt, I had to go back and read my first post. All I asked was what do you think and made a poll. And posted a link.

I cant wait for spring to play some ball. Could it kill me? Well ya, says so right in the waiver.
Says the same thing about sky diving. But I still jump. Unless I get a rider my life insurance is void though. I should be dead already and if I see the flash again its gonna be one helluve a ride and I dont think its gonna be from balling.

I see some other threads mocking me and thats to bad.:cry: :spit_take Voted in one and didnt post just to be a wise guy.

So let me rephrase the question. Do you think the effect of a paintball hit in the right place could kill ya? Maybe I just have more info then some of you or maybe not. :ninja:

Let me help you out some. Take these pics to a neurologist with a paintball in hand and show and tell. Call the paintball 3grams for an average. Make sure you tell him those hits could go 360 degrees. Proper safety gear will play a part here.

By the way whats PROPER SAFETY gear? A JT mask and a bandanna around my neck?

Peace Out

http://home.comcast.net/~beemer2/NeckShot3.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~beemer2/NeckWelt2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~beemer2/HeadShot.JPG

[Beemer]

Something I've always wondered. How many consecutive impacts would it take to cause a "dangerous" injury to "sensitive" areas that are not normally covered by REQUIRED safety equipment? The problem is that I don't think anyone know how many or if it even will or won't.

Hey hush now. Its a dont ask dont tell policy we got going. Why was the FA SMG at 10 BPS banned again? There is no distinction between FA and Ramping at 15BPS

Oh ya it aint how many, its only one.

[Lenny]

http://home.comcast.net/~beemer2/NeckShot3.jpg
That's Snowball! :eek:

Happened at the last AO-OH day. He's one of my best friends. It wasn't bad at all, though. He was over it in about an hour. He even went to the hospital to get things checked out. Absolutely no serious damage. Not even a sign of anything serious.

...But you can't really bash that hit. I mean, it got us free pizzza and Dew. :headbang:

[Soopa Villain17]

one night my mask fogged up in a night game and i told my friends to give me a second to unfog my mask and i caught a ball in the cheek and bottom lip, it hurt. also got shot in the neck a few times but i think its possible if you get hit in the eye but under normal condtions it shouldnt kill ya.

[hitech]

I've wrecked race cars, I've hit my head hard enough to have a concussion, and I don't buy for a second that a paintball impact alone caused a concussion.


I've seen it happen first hand. And was back with pumps at a tournament (we were reffing). Several shots in rapid succession to the temple. He was unconscious for a few seconds. Couldn’t stand or move his head with out getting dizzy enough to fall. And this was no weenie kid, take my word for it.

:cheers:

[Lohman446]

There is no distinction between FA and Ramping at 15BPS
.

Why?

[hitech]

I should be dead already and if I see the flash again its gonna be one helluve a ride and I dont think its gonna be from balling.


Hey, you can't say something like that and not explain!

[bryceeden]

Maybe I just have more info then some of you or maybe not. :ninja:

Let me help you out some. Take these pics to a neurologist with a paintball in hand and show and tell. Call the paintball 3grams for an average. Make sure you tell him those hits could go 360 degrees. Proper safety gear will play a part here.

By the way whats PROPER SAFETY gear? A JT mask and a bandanna around my neck?



I would call proper safty gear a mask. But as for the nerologist thing, I'll try and find one to be sure, but my moneys on they say no, it can't kill you.

thru all of my medical classes I've taken and no, I don't have a degree so I'm not an expert, but I've actually been led to belive the human body is actually alot tougher than most people give it credit for, and my job with Gold Cross Ambulance backed that up alot.

[Phaelynar]

To an extreme, anything can kill you. The end.

[fatkidfrank]

Stroke....Also called apoplexy, CerebroVascular Accident.[CVA] A blockage or hemorrhage of a blood vessel leading to the brain, causing inadequate oxygen supply and, depending on the extent and location of the abnormality, such symptoms as weakness, paralysis of parts of the body, speech difficulties, and, if severe, loss of consciousness or death.

Sounds just like the symptoms he had. No doubt it was a stroke.

aneurysm also aneurism. A localized, pathological, blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel caused by a disease or weakening of the vessel's wall. A cardiovascular disease characterized by a saclike widening of an artery resulting from weakening of the artery wall. An abnormal blood-filled dilatation of a blood vessel and especially an artery resulting from disease of the vessel wall.


glad websters helped out. but when a artery ruptures from say a paintball shot. the stroke would be a secondary side effect to the fact that the artery contolling 15% of your systematic blood flow is broken and bleeding into the body cavity. unless the ball strike knocked lose a plaque build up that made its way into the head. by websters definintion a heart attack could be a stroke because it is causing a lack of O2 to reach the brain due to the inability of the heart to pump blood there from a clot in a cardiac artery.

If the carodid atery was conpremissed he was dead before a stroke could kill him. just like if you blow a AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) you will be dead before any side effects of O2 lose will be seen.

Yes he may have not gotten O2 to the brain but that is because all the blood would be pooling in his neck and that would also cause a heart attack and multi-system organ failure ie death. (the brain is one of these).

[CoolHand]

I've seen it happen first hand. And was back with pumps at a tournament (we were reffing). Several shots in rapid succession to the temple. He was unconscious for a few seconds. Couldn’t stand or move his head with out getting dizzy enough to fall. And this was no weenie kid, take my word for it.

:cheers:

Well, I dunno about your goggles, but every pair I own covers my temples with hard armour. I've never taken a hit to the temple, but I did take one right behind my right ear at point blank range (coming from behind). That hurt like a mother, but no other issues.

Was he shooting hot? I'm guessing that this was "back in the day" before the full face goggles were even developed, yes?

I have no other choice but to believe what you say (and why not, you're not a liar), but I myself have never experienced or even seen anyone go down from a hit anywhere on their head, and I have seen guys unload halos on people's heads from ten inches when starting a fight. Nobody went down, but maybe being pissed off helped? I dunno.

Like I said, could be possible, I suppose, under some specific condition, but I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm gonna play and have a good time, and if I get killed, so be it. You can't play the game and be afraid of it any more than you can drive a race car and be afraid of it. You just gotta accept the risk and go on, or don't and find something else to do.

[hitech]

Some corrections (sorry, it was a long time ago).

I think I was wrong it was not the temple. He was wearing the original Vents and the impact was behind the ear. I don't know if that is more or less sensitive. Swelling could have effected the inner-ear and caused the problems. It was during a tournament (The Bay City Open) and "we" ran that particular field as tightly as we could. But as I'm sure you know, there were velocity cheats that we wouldn't have been able to catch. ;) The person in question was hit at likely inches and I was also hit at a few feet from the same shooter. It did not seem to me that he was hot, but you never know. The shooter in question was not chronoed. I never saw him so...

And yeah, that didn't even slow down my (or his, after he recovered) playing. :D

:cheers:


P.S. But that incedent has always made me wonder just how much more effect multiple impacts has. And I don't know the answer.

[calebh]

That's Snowball! :eek:

Happened at the last AO-OH day. He's one of my best friends. It wasn't bad at all, though. He was over it in about an hour. He even went to the hospital to get things checked out. Absolutely no serious damage. Not even a sign of anything serious.

...But you can't really bash that hit. I mean, it got us free pizzza and Dew. :headbang:

dude, i had one about like that without the swelling and probly a little bloodier and i never got pizza or dew... i kinda have a nice little nike scar now lol. i just wish i still had pics. :(

but im still going without any extra padding. and because it says it could happen in the waiver doesnt mean it could happen in reality. disease strains caused by playing paintball? sure...

[Pneumagger]

A paintball could definately kill you. It could hit an pinch a vital artery in the neck.

I play baseball for my college (catcher) and caught a foul tip straight to the artery in my neck. I first stood up like some sorta macho who didn't feel it. I go to get the ball about 15 feet away, I bent over to pick it up, dropped to my knees, then my hands, everything went white, and I was out like a lamp. I guess I came to a few seconds later when my coaches were walking out to me. I guess the vision is the 1st thing to go with loss of brain oxygen. Surprisingly, it's totally white (not dark) and all light hurts extremely badly to look at.I was trying to be all hard-arse and play it off like I didn't just get knocked the ---- out. I woulda had 'em fooled too, until they realized I still couldn't see.
"Joe, you OK?"
"Psshhhh, yeah. I'm fine."
"You're all glazed over. How many fingers?"
"Whazzuh? :tard: Where's the ball?"
They wouldn't even let me finish the game five mins later when I could see again. :mad:
Then they made me go to the hospital. Those pussies, :cuss:

I'd be willing to bet a same type of paintball shot at close range would do the exact same thing. The hopsital people said they were checking for clots that formed in a blunt traumad artery or something that could break loose and kill me. (they musta been pussies too)

[Lohman446]

A paintball could definately kill you. It could hit an pinch a vital artery in the neck.

I play baseball for my college (catcher) and caught a foul tip straight to the artery in my neck. I first stood up like some sorta macho who didn't feel it. I go to get the ball about 15 feet away, I bent over to pick it up, dropped to my knees, then my hands, everything went white, and I was out like a lamp. I guess I came to a few seconds later when my coaches were walking out to me. I guess the vision is the 1st thing to go with loss of brain oxygen. Surprisingly, it's totally white (not dark) and all light hurts extremely badly to look at.I was trying to be all hard-arse and play it off like I didn't just get knocked the ---- out. I woulda had 'em fooled too, until they realized I still couldn't see.
"Joe, you OK?"
"Psshhhh, yeah. I'm fine."
"You're all glazed over. How many fingers?"
"Whazzuh? :tard: Where's the ball?"
They wouldn't even let me finish the game five mins later when I could see again. :mad:
Then they made me go to the hospital. Those pussies, :cuss:

I'd be willing to bet a same type of paintball shot at close range would do the exact same thing. The hopsital people said they were checking for clots that formed in a blunt traumad artery or something that could break loose and kill me. (they musta been pussies too)

I would be of the opinion not... a baseball is A) hard, and B) heavy compared to a paintball.

[Pneumagger]

I would be of the opinion not... a baseball is A) hard, and B) heavy compared to a paintball.

still, a baseball goes 70 MPH. a paintball pointblank from a hot gun will easily hit 200+ MPH. If it hityo right where it needed, I'm sure the probability is much higher that something happens.

[calebh]

still, a baseball goes 70 MPH. a paintball pointblank from a hot gun will easily hit 200+ MPH. If it hityo right where it needed, I'm sure the probability is much higher that something happens.

momentum is the key here... a paintball may go as much as 3 times faster than a baseball, but a baseball weighs roughly 48 times more than a paintball (assuming my math is right).

[bryceeden]

still, a baseball goes 70 MPH. a paintball pointblank from a hot gun will easily hit 200+ MPH. If it hityo right where it needed, I'm sure the probability is much higher that something happens.


mass times velocity squared, the baseball wins big time. I highly doubt a paintball could pinch off an artary long enogh to kill you.