Woman, 80, Slips Out of Skydiving Harness and Lives

[Baitball Blogger]

LODI, Calif. (KTLA) -- An 80-year-old woman survived a near-nightmare when a skydiving trip for her birthday went terribly wrong.

Laverne Everett was crossing skydiving off her bucket list, jumping out of a plane flying thousands of feet over Northern California, when the unthinkable happened.

Part of her harness came undone, leaving her dangling in mid-air.

Laverne was able to grab onto her instructor and hang on for dear life.


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ktla-granny-skydiving-harness-mishap,0,7753249.story

[Politicalboi]

1. In the video

She seems like she changed her mind about jumping, and the spotter kind of climbed over her to get her to jump. I would think if someone changes their mind to jump, they would listen. She's very lucky she lived.

[Zalatix]

4. Yup, 80 year old woman lives, spotter's career dies.

[pipoman]

2. How freightening..bet she didn't find a new hobby..

The video reminded me of my first jump..I expected to get jerked when the chute deployed. It wasn't until it didn't happen it occurred to me, it always looks that way because the camera isn't deployed yet.

[Baitball Blogger]

3. My son went on one of those drops.

He said he couldn't enjoy it because the straps wrapped around his crotch pressed on his groin too much.

[pipoman]

5. I've never done a tandem jump

but have heard they are not real comfortable. Both static line and free fall with good equipment is comfy. There isn't anything like the silence and freedom of 6,000 feet with only a canopy between you and almost sure death..it is cathartic..

[Tom_Foolery]

7. Amen...

It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't done it.

[RebelOne]

8. Me neither. I have only done 6 jumps, and they were all free-fall.

That was one lucky lady. I remember my first jump and just standing at the open plane door was terrifying. I almost chickened out but did it. That first jump was wonderful.

[pipoman]

9. I've jumped 6 times too

the first 2 were static line, then free fall. The first jump was right after ground school, there were 4 of us and the plane would hold 6 jumpers plus the jump master. A student who jumped his first time the week before came to do his 2nd jump. The four of us 1st timers climbed on the plane and the 2nd timer was balled up in the corner shaking..we were all pretty calm until we saw that guy..

I remember the basic instructions...step 1. sitting in the door with feet outside on the step..not too late to back out. 2. Standing on the step with hands on the wing strut..not too late to back out 3. Hanging on the strut with feet hanging free.."if you don't let go when we tell you we will speed up the plane and knock you off.." This was 25 years ago. My son wants to do a jump with me in SoCal..I think jumping out over the Pacific would be a buzz..

[CTyankee]

6. My bucket list has such items as sitting in a Viennese cafe sipping coffee

and enjoying a Linzer torte...