Falling out of a harness--prevention method

This year at Quincy I had the good fortune to work for Fayard enterprises. Maybe some of you saw me, I was at the Casa tent taking your tickets as you got on the plane. My job consisted of taking tickets, counting heads and making sure every person that got on that plane had their gear completely on.

I must have stoped at least 10 people a day who tried to get on the plane without their chest straps on. Many of the people who I stopped got angry with me. I didn't care, I was doing my job. I even caught one guy who had his chest strap misrouted. Let's see, ten a day for ten days...that's 100 people who were going to get onto an airplane without being fully geared up just at the Casa tent and just during my shift(8:00-2:00). Would all of them remember to buckle their chest strap before jumping? Probably. But the point is that with me there, they didn't get the chance to forget.

By assigning me that task, their is a possibility that someone who would have died didn't. I don't see why this method couldn't be employed at every dz in the country. Even if it is done on a volounter basis at the smaller dzs.

Shit can happen in skydiving we all know this. You can do everything right and still end up six feet under. However, it makes no sense to continue to allow preventable deaths to occur. This sport has enough hidden pitfalls in it without us creating more.

Daless 'Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when I fall down an open manhole cover and die.'

Exactly! The tragic deaths I can accept. The 'shit happens' type ... where one did everything right and still ... damned ... something went wrong. Even the deaths we bring about with our eyes wide open desire to 'push the limits.' Those I can accept as well, just as the victim accepted them by his desire to do more and more ... willingly making a high risk sport even more so. But this ... this particular death ... I am just having a very difficult time accepting ... and it may take me months to come to grips with it ... because it was just so unnecessary ... so senseless. Just a simple gear check ... just a simple double check ... just a caring word in someone's ear ... an observant eye in the door as the exit was being set up. I just can't understand it ... can't fathom it really.

Guess I've still got a long way to go before reaching any sense of maturity in this sport.

Blue skies!

Rita,

I understand your frustration. What we all forget is that when our time comes, we will answer the call. Whether it be a callous and seemingly 'stupid' mistake such as a misrouted chest strap while skydiving; or whether it be a less-surprising tragedy from a daredevil constantly pushing human limits

Very well said Jim. Very well said. BSBD, Kathleen

Before you buy.

That many? Interesting post. Thanks

I don't think you're maturity has much to do with what you're feeling. Senseless tragedies happen in all walks of life.

Embrace the fact that it gravely affects you. Realize that feeling this what makes you who you are. Revel in the fact that you may pass on this tragic episode to another skydiver who may be too complacent and change their approach to gear checks. Grieve for her friends, families, and the thousands of unrelated skydivers who feel shocked and saddened by this event. Learn, live, jump. It's probably what she would have wanted for you if the situation were reversed.

May I never be so mature as to grow beyond the confusion I feel for my brothers and sisters in flight, when tragedy happens... for whatever reason.

Jamie B-23350, A-33665

I'm sorry... but I don't agree with that at all. And when I lost my daughter and people told me stuff like that it just upset me more. I will never forget the priest saying even if she could come back... she wouldn't want to. Those words will haunt me forever and made a young mother's grief much worse. I don't believe in predestiny either. Shit happens and that's life. Or death.

That's o.k...I don't expect that everyone sees things the same way. I'm very sorry for the loss of your daughter. I've experienced the loss of close personal friends amd family, and I can only imagine how painful the loss of a child is.

Ty Writes in response to Jim:

GOOD JOB! Rob