Witnessing your FIRST incident

[peregrinerose 0]

Personally.... I was on the very next load I could get on (first load the following morning), I drank a lot, got a little counseling, and will never forget the lessons that I learned that day (it was a double fatality at a boogie, the jumpers landed about 50 ft from where I was standing after helping tandems land in winds high enough that I opted not to jump, I saw the entire incident)

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[RUN_FMX 7]

Every day is 50/50.

[catfishhunter 1]

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Prior to getting into this sport, I had to accept the risks associated with falling from the sky with a bunch of fabric on your back.

Just the other day I witnessed my first incident (non-fatal, but broken up) and was a little shook up. My questions is, How do you guys/gals deal with incidents when they happen and how did you deal with the FIRST incident you witnessed?

What is proper DZ etiquette regarding incidents immediately after the happen? (i.e when they happen is it hush hush as to not scare the potential customers?) Any info would be great! Thanks

First off, if it looks like something is going south, I turn around and walk the other way.

I have watched 6 people DIE in front of me over the years as they bounced. I have seen far too many injury incidents.

Some may say.. oh that is terrible that you would not wish to help, well no.. I know there are people there who WILL be willing and able to try to help. Once upon a time I was one of those that was the first to the victim trying to help. I specifically do not join that group of people now because of those experiences.

Sorry folks.. but I have enough images of death in my night mares, I do not need any new ones.... so I turn around.... and walk away, remembering my friends living, not their dieing

My feelings exactly. I am not a first responder nor do I wish to be. If it ends up that it is just me then i'll do what needs to be done as I have basic first aid and cpr training but i'm not the one to rush in to blood and guts. There are enough people at my DZ that are EMTS, Fire Fighters etc that have that covered.

As for how I have dealt with the two deaths that have happened while I was on a DZ..I say a quick prayer for the family of the departed and get on the first load that is flying...

MAKE EVERY DAY COUNT
Life is Short and we never know how long we are going to have. We must live life to the fullest EVERY DAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose.

[TriGirl 268]

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Make sure that you find out exactly what happened and learn from that accident. You should never make the same mistake as someone else.

Additionally, if you are NOT one of the qualified people rushing out to help, don't speculate on what happened or the condition of the jumper. I saw a friend of mine spiral in, but knew that I didn't know anything about her condition until someone from the first responders crew came back. Many thought the worst, but as it turned out, a lot of things went in her favor (besides the fact that she's as hard as woodpecker lips), and she's still going strong today.

Afterward, if you're asked to give a statement for an investigation, again, don't speculate or interpolate. Just describe exactly what you saw. Let the investigator put all of the info together for the whole story, from which you should most certainly try to learn something.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[jonstark 8]

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My questions is, How do you guys/gals deal with incidents when they happen and how did you deal with the FIRST incident you witnessed? Thanks

Don't get over it.

File it away as a very important lesson and refer to it often. People will get hurt around you. Hopefully not often. Learn from their mistakes and do not repeat them.

Another good way is to go take a first responder course. To be able to assist in stabilizing an injured friend while waiting for the pros is intense to say the least.

good luck,
jon

[thrillstalker 0]

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In skydiving LIFE, there is no way to remove the possibility of death.

I choose to continue living.

"Never grow a wishbone, where your backbone ought to be."

[cocheese 0]

Ask not what you should do after someone dies, ask what you should do while they are still alive.

In other words: realize that you might not see some of the coolest people you ever met ever again.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

One thing to consider, If you can't help there is no need in going to see what is going on. Some things are hard and sometime impossible to get out of your head.

[toolbox 0]

In this sport you can do everything right and still get hurt, maimed, or killed, even without the fault of another.
This holds true for all extreme activities(base,big wave surfing,extreme snow sports,mountaineering,ect).

[riggerrob 558]

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In this sport you can do everything right and still get hurt, maimed, or killed, even without the fault of another.
This holds true for all extreme activities(base,big wave surfing,extreme snow sports,mountaineering,ect).

......................................................................

Blue skies, black death!

[Zenister 0]

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Ask not what you should do after someone dies, ask what you should do while they are still alive.

In other words: realize that you might not see some of the coolest people you ever met ever again.

This.

____________________________________
Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[SkyTango 0]

Turn 180 and say “ahh.. Shiny thing”


JC

If you woke up breathing, congratulations!
You get another chance.

[billeisele 122]

1) unless your a medical expert, stay out of the way
2) if it is a fatality that may hit the TV, wait a couple hours and call your loved ones just to say hi and chat or if you're on the way home from the DZ tell them what a great day you had and you are on the way home, don't mention the fatality, that way when they see it on the news they will know it was not you
3) don't talk to the media
4) learn what you can so you won't be the next one
5) make a jump

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[airtwardo 6]

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Prior to getting into this sport, I had to accept the risks associated with falling from the sky with a bunch of fabric on your back.

Just the other day I witnessed my first incident (non-fatal, but broken up) and was a little shook up. My questions is, How do you guys/gals deal with incidents when they happen and how did you deal with the FIRST incident you witnessed?

What is proper DZ etiquette regarding incidents immediately after the happen? (i.e when they happen is it hush hush as to not scare the potential customers?) Any info would be great! Thanks

First off, if it looks like something is going south, I turn around and walk the other way.

I have watched 6 people DIE in front of me over the years as they bounced. I have seen far too many injury incidents.

Some may say.. oh that is terrible that you would not wish to help, well no.. I know there are people there who WILL be willing and able to try to help. Once upon a time I was one of those that was the first to the victim trying to help. I specifically do not join that group of people now because of those experiences.

Sorry folks.. but I have enough images of death in my night mares, I do not need any new ones.... so I turn around.... and walk away, remembering my friends living, not their dieing

Same here...


I've seen more than a few people have their day end early while skydiving...it always effects you, more so when you knew them well.

Unfortunately I've seen 4 or 5 times as many in the Airshow industry, and that's an even smaller & tighter knit group than skydiving. . .even harder to deal with.

I'll never forget what Shorty Janocek told me one day as we witnessed a very good friend crash his Sukhoi right next to us and watched him burn to death.

"This is the life we've chosen, people living spectacular lives often have spectacular deaths...when you've had enough and the cost is too high, the bus runs in both directions.
~ Get on it & get out."



Watching a friend cook to death in a cockpit had me running a lotta 'cost/benefit' analysis for a while, I prefer to walk away and remember the images of a spectacular life.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[Master_Yoda 0]

I watched a friend cutaway from a spinning malfunction at about 500 ft and never pull her reserve. She went in at the far side of the dropzone so we didn't know who it was right away. Operations were suspended for the day but we all jumped once the following day. Then went for beers to remember our friend. BSBD, Patty.

[ChrisRomp 0]

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I choose to continue living.

+1. We're all going to the same destination, and while I'm certainly in no hurry to get there, I want to enjoy the ride along the way.