命いのち拾びろい

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

narrow escape from death; barely surviving

Used when someone survives a life-threatening situation by a small margin. Often appears as 命拾いをする or 命拾いした.

• あの事じ故こで命いのち拾びろいをしたのは奇き跡せきだ。

  It's a miracle that I survived that accident.

• 彼かれは九きゅう死しに一いっ生しょうを得えて、まさに命いのち拾びろいだった。

  He had a brush with death; it was truly a narrow escape.