Top 5 Bucket List Ideas That Require Life Insurance Coverage
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How long is the list of things you’ve always wanted to see, do, experience, or feel? To some, having a bucket list is considered too morbid; but having goals on paper may just give you the drive you need to live life to the fullest.
If your bucket list contains any of the five items listed below, you may want to take some time to consider taking up life insurance before running off to accomplish them.
1. Swimming with stingrays
Swimming with stingrays casts an illusion of an unencumbered life but has acquired a bad reputation since the death of Steve Irwin. The 44-year-old Crocodile Hunter was pierced by a stingray’s poisonous serrated spine in the heart causing him to die at the scene.
Six weeks after the Irwin accident, a stingray jumped into a fishing boat in Florida and stabbed 81-year-old James Bertakis in the chest, though he escaped death.
Although rare – only about 17 recorded deaths since 1996 – evidently encounters with stingrays can be deadly. If you are planning to swim with this amazing creature, ensure you are armed with a life policy.
2. Getting a tattoo
In a world divided by language, tattoos are regarded as a universally recognised form of expression. They have been around for thousands of years, too. Ink is injected into the skin using a needle attached to a tattoo machine that is capable of piercing the skin 3,000 times per minute causing punctures that can be as deep as 1/16 of an inch.
In most cases, these open wounds scab over, but they can still cause health problems – and possible even death making health or life insurance a must if you’re planning to cross this off your bucket list.
In 2012, public health officials in New York received reports of non-tuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) skin infections in at least 14 people who had been tattooed with the same pre-diluted grey ink.
3. Bungee jumping
‘Falling to my death’ is a common fear in most who bungee jumps, but the risks extend beyond the obvious. Thus far, there have been at least half-a-dozen deaths and nearly as many critical injuries attributed to bungee jumping.
Statistics will tell you that at 1 in a 100 will die when bungee jumping but these deaths are not caused by equipment failure but heart attacks. Being in tip-top condition and having both health and life insurance is paramount before you take the plunge.
4. Swimming with sharks
The fearless (and fearsome!) predator has always piqued the curiousity of divers. To swim next to this creature is akin to taking the scariest roller coaster in the world. There is a thin line between life and death when swimming with sharks.
In 2008, an Austrian tourist was bitten by a bull shark during an organised shark-safari dive off the Bahamas. According to the International Shark Attack File 2012, there were 80 incidents of “unprovoked attacks” by sharks on humans.
Shark attacks are uncommon but if you’re planning to put yourself in a situation where you are susceptible to an attack, it makes sense to have life insurance coverage.
5. Skiing in the Alps
Living in a tropical country, most Malaysians dream of skiing, at least once in their lives. It’s all fun and games but doesn’t come without its perils.
The most recent high profile skiing accident is one that involves seven-time Formula One World Champion, Michael Schumacher, who despite wearing proper safety equipment slipped into a coma after a skiing accident.
The danger attributed to skiing involves skiing too early into the season which can cause your skis to be weighed down as it gets covered by snow. Hitting a rock or an obstruction when your skis are weighed down can catapult you forward head first. If you land on soft snow, it’s exhilarating; if you land on something else, it can be deadly.
Make sure you have health and life insurance before attempting this seemingly fun and exhilarating sport.
A life of excitement is something we all seek. The idea of leaving this earth with regrets has most people rushing to live their lives to the fullest – sometimes recklessly. Whether you choose to swim with sharks or to just go on a holiday in the Bahamas, make sure you proceed with caution—and with adequate insurance coverage!
