ZEPHYRHILLS - A 70-year-old former TV anchorman who survived a 3,000-foot plunge into Cypress Gardens 27 years ago found himself in a similar predicament Saturday when his parachute failed after he jumped from a plane at 14,500 feet. Once again, Arch Deal survived - this time after successfully deploying a reserve parachute. In the 1975 accident, Deal's main and emergency parachutes became tangled and he fell to earth at an estimated 130 mph before a tree broke his fall. Deal broke both his legs Saturday and suffered other injuries after making a turn too fast and too close to the ground, said T.K. Hayes, manager of Skydive City. He was listed in fair condition Saturday night at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. ``Deal is a pretty tough old guy,'' Hayes said. ``But we probably won't know for another 24 hours about whether he'll be back up again.'' Deal, who was an anchor for WFLA, News Channel 8, from the 1950s through 1970s, became a professional skydiver with a group called Arch Deal and the Falling Arches. He returned to television eight weeks after his 1975 accident, in which he suffered a broken neck, broken back and ribs and a separated pelvis. He survived brain surgery two years ago and minor injuries in other skydiving mishaps, people familiar with his activities at the dive center near Interstate 75 said. ``He's been jumping for 30 years or so and has more than 5,500 jumps,'' Hayes said. ``He's quite a competent skyjumper, but there was some level of misjudgment today.'' Deal jumped Saturday with about 20 others who were performing as part of a woman's 50th birthday by joining to form the number in midair. ``He said he didn't quite remember hitting the ground,'' said James Bacon, a driver-engineer for the Zephyrhills Fire Department. Deal has made a custom of commemorating his 1975 accident by jumping on the anniversary date, beginning in 1976. He made a 25th anniversary jump in 2000 at Cypress Gardens, saying, ``I guess I'm a hard man to put down.'' Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817
