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virgin-burner

Watching out for newbies [was - hard impact at Nats]

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Sorry dude, but I think you wouldn't.

Your hand is still visible giving significant input to the left front riser approximately 1 second before impact, and it's probably still in your hand for another 1/2 second. By the time you let go of your fronts there is nothing you could have done to recover that canopy before pounding in. You misjudged it that badly. It's great that you appreciate now that you were fucking up, but even now you still don't get by how much.

Even if by some miracle you had got away with this one, it would have happened next weekend, or the one after, or the one after that...



You're spot on, on this one. I agree completely, only now I see that my crash was only a matter of time with my type of flying..

But there still was a chance to save myself, if only I would've let go of the front just right after my canopy turned and yanked the toggles I probably would've saved my ass, but as you said only for a short amount of time until the next try to do the same stupid shit..
"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

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That is horribly scary for newbies like me [:/]



Swooping is completely unforgiving when done wrong.

Watching someone crash is one thing and it's good it scares you, it makes you be more careful.

But if people like me (the way I was before) could also feel (for a while) the immense agony and pain and so many health problems without such crashes then they would be really scared off to even touch the front or yank the toggles close to the ground.

Only now I can appreciate my realization, I regret that I was so stupid and cocky all this time to learn this lesson the hard way.. simply put peeps, crashing sucks bad, so bad that you never wanna experience it, believe the stupid Sangi this time, no bullshit this time for real..
"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

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I'm slowly getting better..

I don't have fevers anymore, my blood tests are decent, but I'm still weak because I've been chained to a bed for a month now..

I can't feel or move anything below my chest. This is due to my spinal brain being swollen. It should subside in 2-3 months or so and then I should start slowly feeling and moving my body, starting from top to bottom, but I'll have to do a lot of work in a special rehab hospital which they are moving me to on monday. I might spend 3 or 6 months there, who knows, depending on how I will be recovering, but it's meant to get me back on my feet, if I work hard enough I'll walk again..
"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

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Thanks for the update on your recovery .
I think your last post does more to illustrate the results of bad decision making than the video and hopefully will reinforce the warnings often given to the madskillz crowd the frequent these forums. VB take note.
Heal fast Sangi
.CHOP WOOD COLLECT WATER.

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Sangi, thanks so much for the candid description of what you're going through right now. I think a lot of people who thought like you did have the attitude of "I'm not afraid of dying." And that's not an unnatural feeling, especially when you're younger and/or have no dependents. Even at 40, I feel like I'm not afraid of death, per se; I've lived my life well, openly, and honestly and if tomorrow's my time, I can say that I lived it with no regrets. And though I know I've got family and other loved ones who would have to grieve my death, I don't have any children or other dependents to leave behind. I don't fear death for myself, because, well, I'll be dead.

What terrifies me most about this sport is exactly what you're going through - a traumatic (but ultimately non-fatal) injury that will take months or years to recover from. I've been through a trauma and recovery before (not skydiving related) and all things considered, that was a relatively "minor" trauma. But I know for sure that I don't want to go through that again, and I definitely don't want to take it up a notch. I don't wish my death on my loved ones, but I also don't wish putting them in the position of long-term (or even permanent) caregivers.

I haven't eliminated all the risks of dying or traumatic injury, but I try to mitigate it as much as possible by jumping a big, conservative canopy, sitting out when conditions are marginal, and choosing my jump sites and jump partners thoughtfully.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I can't feel or move anything below my chest. This is due to my spinal brain being swollen. It should subside in 2-3 months or so and then I should start slowly feeling and moving my body, starting from top to bottom, but I'll have to do a lot of work in a special rehab hospital which they are moving me to on monday. I might spend 3 or 6 months there, who knows, depending on how I will be recovering, but it's meant to get me back on my feet, if I work hard enough I'll walk again..



Hi Sangi, I juste discovered the tragic event that followed our last exchange here. I wish you a full recovery, and I know you will be a different person from now on. You've been given a second chance, make the most of it. Hoping to see you back in the sky some day....

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in reply to "I'm slowly getting better.. "
...............................

Hang in there man , you're doing great.
The world is now a much bigger place for you even though you might not think so stuck in bed.
You'll have time to see things now many people just don't see....and it don't go away.
Everytime a little niggle hurts again you 'll get the message ... again.
My hint is to get off the pain killers as quick as possible . The pain can teach you more than those chemicals will.

I woke up in hospital once tied down with gadgets attached and tried to tear them all off in an instant escape bid.
The nurse came in and told me " STOP IT ! you've got a broken back ."
Hopefully I will never forget the true terror I experienced until my friends and family helped me accept that I could recover and walk again.

You're a survivor mate , welcome.
:)

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Sangi, you made it hard to be surprised this happened to you, as you well know, but your candor and honesty with yourself and us has shown you have real character. Not saying you're not thick-headed, just saying you've shown some real integrity!! ;)

Something that's never mentioned, AFAIK, is that dying is not the worst thing that can happen to a skydiver. An incident like yours demonstrates that dying is the quick and easy way out.

I feel for you and hope you hang in there, work with your doctors and physical therapists and get as well and recovered as you can. It's going to be painful, arduous and will take a long time - keep your courage up!

There will be dark times and negative thinking - ignore that shit and keep surviving, keep working and get yourself back together. PMA is good medicine.

Good luck and get better!

N

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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Only now I can appreciate my realization, I regret that I was so stupid and cocky all this time to learn this lesson the hard way.. simply put peeps, crashing sucks bad, so bad that you never wanna experience it, believe the stupid Sangi this time, no bullshit this time for real..

Hey Ignas,
thanks for sharing your incident with us.
Now STOP regretting. You did man up, apologize sincerely for your past "mistakes", now keep all your energy on the positive side for a better and quicker healing.
Get better :)
scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

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Thank you all.

Hopefully I won't give up and do my best, I really wanna walk again and most of all get back to flying, damn I miss it so bad and it's been a relatively short time off, not counting the upcoming huge time out.. Oh well, like they say, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get.

What I got now is a painful, but a very good lesson. Tbh, looking at all my injuries and complications after that crash I should've died, I dunno how I survived this at all, even the doctors at first weren't sure if I'll survive, but all in all, disregarding the injuries I'm happy to be alive and happy to have a decent chance to get back to my old (physical) self..
"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

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For what its worth my life became much better after my little accident . I got to meet heaps of people that had had similar incidents.
People used to walk up to me and tell me stories about what happened to them ,so many first hand bounce stories.
I couldn't understand why they singled me out as they weren't telling everyone.(pre internet)

One step at a time and you'll get there.
A lot of the crew out here don't get that yet.
edited cause it felt harsh (but wasn't).

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Well, it's been over two months now that I've been in rehab..

I've got stronger since I arrived here and more self sufficient in daily things.. Besides that I'm still paralyzed and can't feel or move my legs..

I do have all kinds of weird inner feelings, like muscles cramping, shivers running down my legs and similar type of stuff, you can really feel the strain on your legs after the gym.. I don't have any outer feelings though, like touching the skin or any kind of feeling of pain if say you nip it..

One of the worst parts (besides the fact that you can't walk) is that you can piss or shit like a normal person.. In order to pee you have to use a catheter, crapping is a tedious and long task with the aid of medicine..

I've had a magnetic resonance done not long ago and the myelitis (the thing that made me paralyzed) that I had is gone now, my spine looks "great" now as the doctors said.. So still, not enough time has passed to have any conclusions and the myelitis subsided only not long ago, so any real regeneration to the spinal brain should only be starting now (if any will)..

Overall it's a long and tedious process and nobody knows what the outcome will be :)

"Dream as you'll live forever, live as you'll die today." James Dean

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Fingers crossed for you Sangi. That sort of condition I wouldn't wish on anyone.

I'm sure your doctors will have told you that nerve regeneration is pretty much the slowest process in the body, but it can happen.

Try and stay positive.

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JoelK

Sorry if I resurrect this thread but I wonder how you are doing? I just finished reading the whole thread.



He expressed interest in jumping again but he has not logged in since 2012. My best guess is that he never ended up jumping again and he probably has a lifelong condition. This was an interesting thread to read. Too bad the hard way was the only way for him.

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That was kinda rough to see play out reading through it. Clicked on his profile and there was a DA profile link. Post from about a year ago shows him still in a wheelchair and another at the same time of someone (him?) standing at a scenic vista with the title "dreams." Not sure if the allusion to standing was the meaning of the title though.

Makes me feel less bad about the folks I've seen get chased away from the sport for doing the same stuff. I for one would rather be shamed into exile from skydiving than end up violently crippled.

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JoelK

Sorry if I resurrect this thread but I wonder how you are doing? I just finished reading the whole thread.



I went back to the beginning and read the first page or so.

I'm pretty sure you are asking about Sangi. If you are, he's paralyzed for life.

He came back on under the user name "Clipped wings."
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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Westerly

******Sorry if I resurrect this thread but I wonder how you are doing? I just finished reading the whole thread.





He came back on under the user name "Clipped wings."Hmmm I cant find anyone named that on the forum. A search turns up nothing.

Try harder.

Member Profile (found through the "who's online" and then searching the member directory)

Posts

Post where he owns what he did
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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I had a surgery awhile back that required the use of a spinal block. When I woke up my legs were completely numb. I thought, hey in theory I can walk because I was walking around two hours ago so I know I am capable of it. Yea, no. Without nervous system control, your legs are useless. I spent most of the two hours it took before the spinal block wore off just trying to stand. I just couldn't do it even though I knew I was physically capable of it in theory. Even something as simple as moving my toes was a hugely difficult task. I put in all my effort to attempt it, and still I couldn't even move a toe, not even a tad.

That surgery was an interesting opportunity to see what it would feel like to be paralyzed from the waist down and it sucked hugely. It was annoying enough for two hours. I couldn't imagine a lifetime of that. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. That's got to be a really hard life to live with that type of condition.

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