Westy has caringly given us a first hand description of a very unhappy event. Such events are very rare. In some cases, they can be forecast, in a few cases, it is just fate - there's no way around it.
Everyone is different, find what lights your fire and follow it. It might be flying, it might be something else. Flying can bite, as can many other activities. Without getting into the "flying is safer than driving" discussion, I've been flying longer than I've been driving. I've never been involved in an aircraft event where anyone was hurt, or I could not repair the damage myself. But I've had three cars written off around me, and a few more damaged by faulty drivers. Last winter, my healthy, 49 year old CPL friend dropped dead of a heart attack without previous symptoms. That's got to be fate!
Decide what you like and do it safely. Learn the ins an outs, and practice. But sometimes, you had to step outside your comfort zone, to feel the rush. It can be a little rush, or a huge flood, whatever you need.
Last summer I landed my flying boat to camp on a remote lake in the Canadian north, 93 miles away from the nearest other person. I hiked up a waterfall, and enjoyed the serenity of desolation - that does it for me. There was a rush - if I buggered up that landing or takeoff, there would be really a really big problem. The rush was getting it right in challenging conditions. But, I put a lot of safeguards in place before I left. I believe in fate, and I believe in luck, and I work hard to provide both with the best chance of success!