I’ve got enough phobias. I’ll skip watching this (did so when I saw it on my Facebook feed too).
As others have pointed out regarding BASE jumping, rock climbing, where the focus always remains on not falling off seems like the more sensible sport.
Holy hell.
From the website (if you click the comments link, but not the video link)
Compression Fracture of the T12 Vertebra, 5 stitches to the eye, 6 stitches to the chin, severely sprained Back, wrist and hand. multiple bruised areas.
So not dead, which is a pretty decent outcome.
Thanks, was about to post that. Made a huge difference when deciding whether or not to watch. It’s good that there are videos like this to remind people that stunts are called stunts for a reason.
I like the useless knee pads. I wonder if they had time to wish that they were wearing more significant safety gear.
None for me, thanks.
Why was he spun around? His chute should have carried him away from the rock face. Was it an updraft perhaps?
Updraft, tangled lines, … I can’t tell exactly where the failure was.
Even when not opened fully the chute will still provide some drag, so it’s not quite as bad as going off the cliff without it.
Re the comparison with climbing… When climbing, the rope is there almost purely as safety equipment. “Almost” because there’s a specific call – “tension” – for indicating that you’d appreciate it if the rope was pulled up as hard as possible to help stabilize you while you do something you’re not sure you can pull off. With that one exception – and of course if you do fall – the rope is, if anything, a reassuring nuisance; climbing you (and what you can carry) versus gravity and the rock.
Many years ago, I was climbing in the Gunks when I noticed that there was an ultralight flying by at about the same altitude. I looked at him, he looked at me, and I’m sure we were both thinking “he’s got to be crazy.”
I have generally understood “TAKE!” to be the “Take all the slack out of the rope” command, rather than Tension- but I’m sure that’s possibly a regional thing.
Of course the first point of contact has to be the jagged rock jutting out from the cliff face.
Yes, there are definitely regional/group variations. When climbing with a new crowd, always run over the calls before starting.
…Compression Fracture of the T12 Vertebra…
Hopefully not paralyzed either? I’m certainly a little gun-shy about accidentally stumbling onto death pr0n on Boing Boing these days…
Yes, that did seem particularly unfortunate.
In the second video in the series you can see there’s a half twist of all the cords. When the chute opens it untwists facing him towards the wall.
Here as always: Pack your own chute. Not just so you know it’s been done right, but so you don’t saddle someone else with the guilt trip of whether your accident was their fault.
No matter what the word, such an action would only apply to a top-roped situation. If you’re leading without a top-rope, the last thing you want before a tricky move is to have the rope pulling on you from below.
For some reason, this post reminded me of back when the National Enquirer would have pictures of car wrecks and their aftermath. Gosh, I’m old.
I have a friend who’s a world-class skydiver, who did this sort of cliff face-plant when he was much younger. He got dozens of stitches to his face, but was otherwise OK. He only ever did BASE jumping off a TV tower and a skyscraper after that. Smoother surfaces, I guess.
As a non-American, I always wonder what the implications for insurance are for the people who do this. Do they have to pay huge premiums, or is it a first one is cheap then you pay through the nose for the rest of your life kind of thing?
