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Scariest Skydiving Video Ever!
For many people skydiving is one of those bucket list items you do following a monumental birthday just to cross it off your list. That's what Lavern, the woman in this video, did after she turned 80. The problem is, once she got up in the air she decided she really wasn't sure she wanted to jump after all. Clinging to the open doorway on the airplane, the man that was jumping tandem with her forced Laverne out of the plane and in doing so she became dislodged from her harness. The result is one scary plunge back to Earth with the instructor clinging on to the woman for dear life and a clearly panicked cameraman desperately wanting to help. Warning: this one is not for the faint of heart!
Filed under: Video
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 4)
HRK5326 May 26th 2012 8:52AM
No Way ! Whats wrong with them ? She had clearly changed her mind . Never force anyone out of the plane . Prying her hands from the Door , various times ?
As the former Chief of the Navy Parachute Team " Leapfrogs " '89-91 , I'm appalled
at their Actions and what they have done to " SkyDiving " . I'm sure " USPA " will have some thing to say about their Actions , pull His License !
wahwah2012 May 26th 2012 9:29AM
WAH WAH WAH WAH>>>>She is fine. Let it be,, typically whiny lawsuit happy Americans, you are a cancer to the world.
HRK5326 May 26th 2012 9:32AM
Wah Wah , your a moron !
Rick, Chicago May 26th 2012 10:54AM
Roger that, Chief! I'm a former Sailor and agree that this so called "instructor" has a dang hole in his head!
Rick, Chicago May 26th 2012 10:56AM
Yeah, WAH WAH yer frickin' mother there, pal!!! Let's see YOU jump out of a plane.....or, rather......be FORCED out against YOUR will. Until then, shut yer frickin' fat pie hole!!
Banks May 26th 2012 12:40PM
Leap Frog, you are right. At one point in my skydiving career I was a tandem examiner for Strong Enterprises and ran a DZ in Warm Springs, GA. The list of things this instructor did wrong, along with the the Drop Zone Operator that let it happen as a matter of routine business, is pretty damning.
For starters, Grandma is up in her street clothes, which are not designed for freefall and can (and did) create problems all of their own.
Secondly, her harness was entirely too loose. Properly tightened harnesses seldom if ever shift.
Most damning is the attitude of the instructor who was hell bent for leather to get his skydive in. She was clearly communicating "I DO NOT WANT TO JUMP." Now, it is not abnormal to have someone on their first jump take a death-grip on the doorjamb. But usually if you can get them to let go and talk to them, and ASK for an affirmative nod to jump, you get it and off you go.
This grandma was digging in her heels, sitting on her butt, and pushing back with all she had. Unequivocal body language.
From a risk management and liability point of view, this instructor is a nightmare. It is one thing to for a student to knowing assume the risk and indemnify. It is quite another to be PUT at risk against your will. That is an indefensible position to be in for any instructor or Drop Zone.
The United States Parachute Association should snag this instructor's tandem rating post haste. He is the poster child for much of what they have to work against year in and year out.
I'm hoping we read about him getting the boot in Parachutist in a few issues...
Blue Skies!
Horse Girl in CT May 26th 2012 9:26AM
Two things are wrong with this. The obvious that the instructor forced her out of the plane. He should have sat back down, let the other people go first, and then after she catches her breath, let her decide if she wants to go. Second, this is the SMALLEST skydiving plane I've ever seen! Maybe it's just me, but I have been skydyiving (in CT) and all the planes were large enough to easily stand up in. Also, they were designed so you jump out the BACK of the plane to reduce the wind resistance from standing at the side. This whole facility should be evaluated.
monique May 26th 2012 9:05AM
It was clear in the video that her harness was loose, I skydived for years..totally didnt check the gear..geez
jr May 26th 2012 11:06AM
We often live in the confines of our ego minds. Skydivers are closer to "source" then most, I applaud that instructor for his amazing ability to keep her safe and even more for giving her the opportunity to experience probably the most exhilarating birthday ever! Whoo hoo to ALL the factors that led up to and created that experience for her!!!!!!!!!
Me May 26th 2012 3:19PM
Applaud this skydiver? I think not. He forced this poor woman out of the plane against her will. If he had been skilled he would have let her sit back down, he would have noticed that she was sliding down and out of her harness, he would have noticed her death grip on the side of the plane and acted accordingly. As for her having the time of her life... NO! She was terrified and falling out of the harness perhaps falling to her death every second of that fall. The only reason he isn't being charged with murder is he was able to hang on to her... Thanks to God and him for that.
Sunshine Warrior May 26th 2012 5:43PM
Interesting that you talk about the ego and being close to source, because based on your comments, it's easy to tell that you are full of yourself. You based your entire comment on your own experiences and then applaud the fact that he landed her safely as if he were her savior. He was damned near her killer, and I'm pretty sure he had an ulterior motive for landing HER safe, and that would be HIS life.
Jumanah May 26th 2012 9:38AM
Wow!
I wonder if she is okay
that must of been really bad
Mark May 26th 2012 9:39AM
What blame does she have to share? You can choose to back out of anything like this, particularly when you have paid good money. There is no obligation to jump out of a plane. It is not like she got into a roller coaster, and it took off out of the gate, and she got terrified, and decided to sue. That is a different scenario. The man is clearly forcing her out of the plane, pushing her and prying her hands off the door. Where is the blame on her part?
eatahabanero May 26th 2012 10:05AM
I get that but you dont try to work your way out of the harness she could have killed them both. That lady is very lucky to be alive
Shaughn May 26th 2012 10:36AM
To Eatahabanero: She did not work her way out of the harness. If you watch the video, you will see that he jumped over her causing her to end up in a position where she slid out of the back of the harness, which should have been up against the instructor if he had jumped out properly. It also did not help that the harness may have been too loose. Even IF (and that is a big if) she tried to unhook the harness to get out of jumping, he was wrong in forcing her out the door. He pulled her hands away at least three times that I counted and then jumped OVER her, forcing her out the door. At the point where she said NO, they should have sat down and allowed her to re-think her decision. If she chose not to jump, she does not get a refund, because she paid for the instruction, the plane ride and the instructor's time. When she was forced out, she should sue to get her money back, compensation for having the living $#!7 scared out of her and the revocation of the man's license! If I were her, once I made it to the ground safely, I would have gotten up swinging. I would have beat the holy crap out of that man for doing what he did!
Tom May 26th 2012 11:48AM
Hey Eatahabanero
She did NOT try to work her way out of the harness.....watch it again....even while she was still seated, BEFORE she even started to approach the door, her left shoulder strap wasn't even over her sholder...it was slid down nearly to her elbow. Tandem jumps are not JUMPS......they are RIDES, and the RIDER goes into it having every expectation that the TANDEM-MASTER, who is IN CHARGE of the RIDE, will take all safety precautions necessary; INCLUDING (but not limited to), CHECKING HIS RIDER'S HARNESS; and more importantly, HEEDING THE RIDER'S WISHES TO ABORT of THEY SO CHOOSE. The more I watch this....the more appalled I become. This tandem-master should lose his USPA license, permanently.
Bill Sampson May 29th 2012 4:30PM
Grandma got crushed in a skydive happened round bout Christmas eve
You may not believe this is true but as for me and Grandpa we believe.
Michael May 26th 2012 10:11AM
Frighteningly unbelievable. Only an insanely incompetent instructor would physically force someone to jump. I hope this women sues him right out of the sky. In fact, I think she might have solid grounds to go after him him for assault and other charges.
ubu967 May 27th 2012 9:26PM
Love the American bashing.......
Note my comment at the end "a justified one at that!"...Most American's agree that we are a bit on the litigious side.....but when the negligence is that blatant, and the end result could have been so horrific, and avoidable....I think legal action is justified.
Where are you from Canada? America Lite.......you benefit from our proximity, but bitch about us like you don't need us. And if you are from anywhere else....you got a litany of problems you need to address before you bash us..............
Shaughn May 26th 2012 10:16AM
I agree that she should sue, but it's not the type of suit to get rich. This man needs to lose his license! He should have let her sit back down and be allowed to re-think her decision. Instead, he forced her hands off the door and jumped over her head, pulling her out with him which I believe caused her to slip from her harness, which I also believe was too loose. He's lucky she didn't fall completely out of it. I can guarantee he won't be forcing anybody else from a plane ever again. If I were his boss, he would have been fired immediately! And to whom ever said she was partly to blame, I don't see how. Yes she took the risk of skydiving, but she also removed that risk when she refused to jump! He forced that risk back on her when he jumped over her, pulling her out of the plane.