#1 Man Stabbed While Playing in the Park
On July 14, 2016, an Anaheim, CA man nearly lost his life while playing Pokemon Go at midnight in a park. Perhaps lulled into a false sense of security by the adorably animated Pokemon, he wandered into a dangerous area and came across something way more adrenaline-pumping than a rare Charizard. According to police, the victim was accosted by a group of men in their late teens or early 20s, and stabbed several times in the torso. He managed to survive the attack, but the near-death experience could have easily added to the Pokemon Go death toll.
#2 Two Men Walked Off a Cliff to Catch Pokemon
On July 13, 2016, firefighters in Encinitas, CA were dispatched to rescue a man who fell off a crumbling ocean bluff while playing Pokemon Go. The man had fallen 75 to 100 feet, but somehow managed to survive. While the firefighters came to his rescue, they found a second (unconscious) man who had also walked off the cliff while playing the game. Both players were taken to the hospital after nearly losing their lives. Sgt. Rich Eaton of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said, "I think people just need to realize this is a game. It's not worth your life. No game is worth your life."
#3 Multiple Dead Bodies Discovered by Pokemon Go Players
Who knew Pokemon Go would be the key to uncovering so many mysterious deaths? Within weeks of the release of the game, three separate dead bodies were discovered by intrepid players hoping to stumble across some elusive Pokemon. Maybe catching human corpses should get you some extra points?
The first person to find a dead body while playing the game was 19-year-old Shayla Wiggins, who found a corpse in a river in Wyoming. Less than a week later, on July 14, 2016, a woman in Nashua, NH found a dead body in Salmon Brook behind a Holocaust Memorial. The same day, three women playing Pokemon Go in Marian Bear Memorial Park in San Diego, CA caught a dead human. While the poor corpses didn't die while playing the game themselves, their deaths were only uncovered thanks to the Pokemon catching skills of the fearless players.
#4 Pokemon Go Player Rams Car Directly Into a Tree
A 28-year-old man in Auburn, NY must have seen his life flash before his eyes when he ran his car into a tree while playing Pokemon Go. On July 12, 2016, the seriously distracted driver destroyed his car (and nearly died) trying to catch a Pokemon while on the road. The next player to attempt both at the same time may not be so lucky.
