re: What's the most pressure filled situation that you have ever been in?

I answered the bell.

Christmas Day 1988, Playing Navy, took a guy on "in port fire party's duty that day so he could be home with his kids Christmas Morning and he gave me $100 bucks and took my New Year's eve duty.... so..... his job was the lead in and on a ship this also means the hatch opener.

Mid day alarms go off.. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, THIS IS NOT A DRILL... FIRE FIRE FIRE compartment blah blah blah level bla... THIS IS NOT A DRILL proceed down on the port side up on the starboard side.... head to the fire locker to get jocked up... I was the only sub... Chief came up and asked me, this is real are you sure you got this? I said yep(and then went over the protocol for opening hatch. and I am first in. Get there I was nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.... Opened hatch no flames right there but rushing air pulled me in laid me flat on the ground about 15 feet in. CHief pulled me out, which was the protocol if air did that too me because my OBA could have been compromised - which it was slightly. Without question the most terrified I have ever been in a situation I had control over. Chief told me after when he asked me if I had it, that he fully expected me to say NO I'm not comfortable... I said CHIEF I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE! he shook my hand and said well done!.... Mad respect for firemen since then. frick fire on a ship!