Bluessurfer 0 #1 February 14, 2009 Lillo-Spain February 14 2009. Well guys, today we have lost a dear friend and work colleague as I’m sure many of you throughout the years, it’s very difficult for me to write something about skydiving accident because I’m one of that specie and we have chosen to live this kind of life! Full of rushing experiences, great moments and sad ones, of course. Nowadays we’re losing more and more skydivers; despite of the big effort of the skydiving manufactures companies, DZ’s, Instructors, to provide us with product quality and safety, we’re still pushing the limits every single day more and more, because we believe when we read on a forum or in a magazine about a fatality that we’re never going to be involved in something like this, so we relax…..and we’re wrong! As you’re well aware most of the accidents of fatalities in skydiving are with a fully inflated canopy, so is definitely us who are making more and more mistakes for lack of information or simply for not setting personal limitations. I’ve been skydiving only for almost 5 years more than 2000 jumps and I have already lost 7 friends around the world, most of them very experienced skydivers and some of them not that much, I can’t imagine those whom have been in the sport for 20 years or have 5 times my number of jumps! I’m a current canopy pilot with a few European competitions on me, sometimes I ask myself, is this what you really want? My loved ones always concerned when I go away for a competition, or simply scared to death when they see me landing at high speeds? The answer… I already gave it to you in my previous paragraph, and for sure this answer has been given by many of you to your loved ones in many occasions, but for sure when it comes to this kind of uneventful and sad events these questions also comes to our minds. Instructors, we all know that our life changes when we get a rating, some of us change and get 100% commercial because we make our living out of this sport, and some of us still keep the vocation for teaching no matter if money is involved or not, remember that we all started like a simple student, just with the illusion and passion… nothing else! Is not like a math test that the student or a non experienced fun jumper fails and has the chance to re do it! For that reason we all have to stay current to make sure the information is given as correct and accurate as possible. “Is not about quantity of life but quality of life” my mother says, most of us enjoy those 60 seconds in freefall like if it were the last ones of our life’s, we enjoy simple things like jumping with a acquaintance we met in a skydiving trip a few years or months ago, and that’s what it makes us specials! This friend is not more or less important to the ones I’ve lost in the past, but his departure made me realize that I need to beg you guys, please educate every single day, get some help in each discipline you would like develop, please be curious, not only in skydiving but in life we learn every single day new things, skydiving is certainly about having fun, but with responsibility! Find the information form instructors and not only from colleagues, please don’t think you already have all the information or knowledge you need, because if that day comes to you skydiving careers, you may be in great danger! Today was him, tomorrow maybe me, but it also could be any of your dear friends or even yourselves. Technology and research made this sport way safer than what is was before; let’s help to preserve the ones we love and ourselves for the one who love us. Fly Free, and look after us my friend! Ernesto Gainza Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
