Busted (up) off Bridge

[BASE841 3]

http://www.krqe.com/expanded.asp?RECORD_KEY[News]=ID&ID%5BNews%5D=8893

Here's the text:
"A 21-year-old Colorado man suffered serious leg injuries after his parachute opened late when he jumped off the XXX bridge on US XX west of XXXX.

"Robert Walking of Crested Butte, Colorado, jumped off the bridge about 6:30 a.m. yesterday. The man's parachute didn't open until he was near the Gorge floor.

"The bridge is some 650 feet above the Rio XXXXXX.

"Search and rescue teams had to be sent out to look for Walking.

"New Mexico State Police Lieutenant Jimmy Glascock says a New Mexico National Guard helicopter eventually pulled the man out of the gorge.

"He says Walking was taken to Santa Fe's St. Vincent Hospital.

"The man's injuries are not life-threatening."

The young man has big ones. I've thought about jumping that particular site, but the landing area is royaly worse than a particularly gnarly span I could mention.

I called the NM National Guard rescue folks, the 717th Air Ambulance. They tell me he broke at least one leg on landing. It took a couple of hours for the request to make it through channels to the 717th. When the Guard UH-60 made it to the site, they couldn't land in the gorge, so they lowered a pair of medics on their hoist, strapped the jumper in and lifted him out.

For some reason, he wasn't medivaced out directly, but instead transfered to a Life Flight chopper that was waiting on the highway.

I tried to contact him or his brother at the hospital to send them some good wishes, but since this made the media, he's considered a privacy patient.

Hope he's doing well, under the circumstances.

[divnswoop 0]

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The young man has big ones. I've thought about jumping that particular site, but the landing area is royaly worse than a particularly gnarly span I could mention.

Well, the best way to avoid a accident landing a parachute in a tight area is..........not to deploy it in time.
Anyway, I hope Alex gets through it alright. I know he has had his fair share of plaster on before.
Sad, but not surprising news.

[alanab 0]

another article posted here

[Twoply 0]

"but not surprising"

Care to expand on that little?

[divnswoop 0]

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"but not surprising"

Care to expand on that little?

Really?........well, do stupid stuff.........stupid stuff happens. It's all in the odds. If you jump this way, odds are in your favor you will live. Jump this way( 6 seconds off of 600) odds are you won't. I think Alex was lucky. I hope he fully recovers and can walk again.

[davelepka 4]

Quote

Care to expand on that little?

Care to expand on that a little?

[BASE841 3]

Update:

Alex is doing as well as you can expect; in good spirits and getting the medical attention he needs. Early this morning, he was talking about getting transfered to Denver soon. His family has been with him through most of the ordeal.

His brother Chris and I pulled his gear out of the gorge early this morning. Can't tell what nearly three days in the water did to his Flik, but I'm sure his gear bag and Pro Tec are still usable.

And I discovered why the National Guard UH-60 couldn't take him directly to the hospital. Seems they aren't authorized to transport civilians, not having a trauma nurse or MD on board. Fortunately, pulling 'em out of a canyon is OK.

[Twoply 0]

I'm sure he knows he f***ed up. Call it a stupid move, fine. But calling it "not surprising" made me think you were insulting the guy's overall intelligence and not just the one lack of judgement or mistake.

[divnswoop 0]

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But calling it "not surprising" made me think you were insulting the guy's overall intelligence and not just the one lack of judgement or mistake.

First let me say this....I like Alex. Are we good friends, no. Would I base with him, no. I wasn't insulting the guys overall intelligence, I question his base jumping intelligence(and sometimes his sking). Just cause he got hurt on this jump DOESN'T mean that this was his "first" lack of judgement or mistake. It's just the time it caught up with him. I don't know how long you have known him or how many jumps you've done with him. All I'm saying is that I'm not surprised that he hurt himself. Some people get a bad break here and there, then there are people that are chasing down an accident. Trying a front flip w/twist,stop, then backflip w/twist, throw, from 600 is a bit much. Can it be done, yes. Degree of difficulty is high though.
So, if somebody wants to go balls the the wall, fine. I just get a little tired of hearing,"Oh he was such a smart and safe base jumper." His decisions to do what he does is his business. I'm content on reading what he did wrong and warning the next guy that won't pay any attention to me.
I hear he's getting a private jet ride back to columbus to try and put his leg back together. Maybe I'm just jealous...he's had several chopper rides(including a huey) and a private jet ride!
Once again I'll say, I hope he fully recovers and can return to whatever his heart desires.

[pringles 0]

We as jumpers assume that it will happen at some point. But I will have to agree with twoply here. Keep it to yourself.

Matt Davies

[divnswoop 0]

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We as jumpers assume that it will happen at some point. But I will have to agree with twoply here. Keep it to yourself.

Twoply asked me to expand on it. I was "trying" to keep it to myself, he wanted more. In a non-public forum there would be a whole lot more I could say about this.

I have a question for you pringles:
You as a jumper assumes that one day you WILL go in in some form or another base jumping?

[TomAiello 25]

Almost every jumper in the "not surprising" category knows that they are there. I know--I was that guy.

BASE is, in significant part, about analyzing and accepting risks. It's scary when people who everyone else thinks are in the "not surprising" category don't place themselves there. In my experience, it's more common that the jumpers pushing the edge more actually know exactly what they're doing, and understand that they are taking above average risks.

It's all about knowing your personal risk level--and accepting it.

-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

[Possum 0]

I don't think this thread mentioned "smart" or "safe" up until this point- ergo, no need for smug commentary.

[Foggy 0]

Heard he is back in Columbus. Hope he is doing well and will someone pass on my wishes for a speedy recovery.

Foggy

p.s stick to pull offs on the golf cart dude

[SabreDave 0]

Well Crap!!

It took me awhile to figure this out the fact it was the Alex I met on my Euro-Trip, guess I didn't read the whole thread...etc............

I met Alex back in August whilst in Europe. First in Norway where we were lucky enough to be stuck together and with a few others attempting to use a big rock as shelter from a Norwegian rain storm up on the flats about 20-30 minutes from exit 5. We were all wet cause when it's 100% humidity and driving rain, even Goretex gives up! We made a break for the exit when a break appeared. We talked a bit when in NOrway but not too much, there were 50+ jumpers in the village and campground! Fun to meet so many great people at once.\
Anyway, Alex kind of vanished one day as other jumpers did and then more appeared etc... So, after 11 days in Norway myself and 3 friends left for Switzerand (L-Valley) and on our last night there we were sitting on the patio of the Horner Pub and in walks Alex. His buddy recognized us and we had a chat. Alex and friend had just arrived and we were leaving the next day.
That night, Alex and I plus a couple others got into the party mode and I really let it loose as it was my last night there, we were going to leave at noon the next day. So, Alex and I parted ways some time after last call, and after the to-go cups from the pub were dead. I told him to come wake me up at 8am and we would give'er. He was more or less on time but I was far from ready to haul my ass out of bed. So, he walked to Air Glacier to get some insurance and came back. I managed to haul my sorry, hung-over ass out of bed and grab my shit. We walked into town and grabbed the train. That morning it was just me and Alex, both a little worse for wear from the night before. Clickety-clack, clickety friggin clack as the noisy little cog-train grunted its way up the mountainside.
Finally we are on our way to the exit via the trail. After stopping to admire some pigs and swiss cows with REALLY loud bells, we meandered our way through the trees, enjoying the early, crisp morning air, the good conversation and the occasional burp of vapour. Then..
all of a sudden, there it was!! The vicious beast that guards those Swiss exit points! WE stopped dead on our tracks, not daring to breathe..........welll ok, we kept breathing but there we were face to face with some Swiss wirldlife. I think it is a Staubach?!?!? I'm sure someone will set this straight as I really don't know. Looked alot like our Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep but with really long cool horns!. I considered it a good omen as we watched it for awhile. Then we moved on.
Finally at the exit, totally jacked, I suggest a two-way but Alex already has his plan. He decides to go first and I realize that him going first will leave me with a first. This will be the first time I will have been the last one off of something. The first time at the exit point alone. It sounded good so after some small talk about the jump Alex was ready to go. I could tell he was jacked and away he went! He hucked a nice gainer and was gone........ It actually scared me a little because I didn't know he was going for the gainer. So there I was, all alone and it did feel lonely! It was quiet and I just stood there for awhile soaking in my percieved isolation. It felt as if the world didn't exist, it was just me and this beautiful piece of rock that I was about to make love to. 3......2.......1........?.........go. I was off, it was perfect, I was free again.
After a nice landing and a high five from ALex we walked back to town with shit-eating grins plastered on our faces.
So, my last jump in Europe was with a new friend and I will always remember it and ALex. Thanks buddy, that was friggin' awesome!!!

I guess the point to all this is....perspective! If Alex wants to push the limits I think that is his business. I will jump with him anytime and he is welcome here anytime. The fact is when talking about safety, smart, not smart etc...... 99% of the earth's population would say we are all completely insane and about as far from safe or smart as one can be. Now, we know better, we know that what we do is something special.

A quote from divNswoop "do stupid stuff.........stupid stuff happens" well don't worry man, if you are ever injured skydiving, skiing, BASE-ing, downhill mountain-biking or in some auto-erotic asphyxiation accident.... there will be plenty of people to say the same thing about you or me or any of us for that matter. It was your wording! Sounds like words I would expect from a whuffo on tv. It's all perspective!

Alex, my best wishes for a full and speedy recovery bro!! Gimme a shout next time your in the Great White North and are itching for some terminal walls!

PS-here are a couple of frame grabs from that day

SabreDave

[base311 0]

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snip

Then..
all of a sudden, there it was!! The vicious beast that guards those Swiss exit points! WE stopped dead on our tracks, not daring to breathe..........welll ok, we kept breathing but there we were face to face with some Swiss wirldlife. I think it is a Staubach?!?!? I'm sure someone will set this straight as I really don't know. Looked alot like our Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep but with really long cool horns!. I considered it a good omen as we watched it for awhile. Then we moved on.

Wow cool photo and good omen.

You were awfully close on the names. Ibex. a.k.a. Steinbock.
Capra ibex.

-Gardner

[SabreDave 0]