Dropzone.com - The single best source for skydiving information

Amputee/skydiver drops in
Ex-Army member Dana Bowman tells kids they can succeed

Former U.S. Army Golden Knights member Dana Bowman glides in for a landing yesterday at the Sunnyside High School football field. Bowman, who lost both legs in a skydiving accident, wowed students with his skill and bravery.
Photos by XAVIER GALLEGOS/Tucson Citizen

GABRIELA RICO
Tucson Citizen
Jan. 28, 2003
Fifteen-year-old Jose Gamez has been in the United States for three years. He lost his right arm in a well accident in his hometown of Naco, Son., when he was 12.
His English is not very good, and he doesn't know what he wants to be when he grows up.
But yesterday, Gamez was full of anticipation as he awaited the arrival of Dana Bowman, a double-amputee and inspirational speaker. Bowman's arrival was by way of parachute to the football field at Sunnyside High School, where Gamez attends classes.
"I really want to see him. I think it's neat," Gamez said in Spanish. "To throw yourself from an airplane must take talent, right?"
Talent indeed, but mostly determination, said Bowman, 40, who travels around the country with his message of "It's not the disability, it's the ability."
Thousands of students from Sunnyside Unified School District gathered on bleachers to await Bowman's arrival.

A retired member of the Army's elite parachute team, the Golden Knights, Bowman lost both legs in a midair skydiving collision near Yuma in 1994.
A nine-month journey to recovery led to his reinstatement in the Army. He became the first amputee to skydive with the Golden Knights.
Retired since 1996, Bowman splits time among motivational speaking engagements, skydiving demonstrations and work with the Dana Bowman Limb Bank Foundation. The group is a nonprofit based in Weatherford, Texas, that helps people in underdeveloped nations and in the United States when traditional funding is not available.
"I bring an important message of hope," Bowman said after he landed. "It's all about drive," he said of the message he tries to impart to young people. "Maybe I can be their Robocop for the day."
Anai Valenzuela, 11, a sixth-grader at Sierra Middle School, said she couldn't believe her ears when the teacher told her class what the young people were going to watch.
"I was all surprised because he has no legs," she said. "I didn't know you could do that."

Dana Bowman stands on prosthetics as he speaks to young people yesterday at Sunnyside High School.

Classmate Tevin Howell, 12, was equally surprised. "I think he's a fool because why would somebody jump out of a plane with no legs?" He conceded afterward that it was "cool."
"He wanted to do it bad, and nothing was going to stop him," said Luis Mendivil, 12, a Sierra Middle School seventh-grader.
Alfredo Valenzuela, 16, a Sunnyside High student, was equally inspired.
"It's neat," Valenzuela said in Spanish. "He's not well, and still he is following his dream."
Bowman will be in Tucson all week, making presentations at schools. His talks are sponsored by Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics.

Dana and I used to work in the same unit. When he lost his legs, went to Walter Reed, then came back to recover. Shortly later, I was with him the very first time he walked into a crowded bar without the aid of any crutches, cane etc. It was Hugmuggers in Fayetteville and he drove us there in his F-350 truck. It was pretty funny seeing the looks on peoples faces. You absolutely could not tell that he didn't have any legs until he hiked up his Levis. Talk about stories, I have some crazy stories about some of the shit we used to get into.

Chuck

I was just wondering how an accident like that can occur as the result of a mid air collision (unless it was a collision with some sort of aircraft?)

And video of actuall colision and story about him here.

Just out of curiousity, what happened in the accident that caused him to lose both legs?