"I fell 6,000 feet and survived."

[onestepforward]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/19/fell-6000-feet-survived

"By any reasonable standards, people who jump out of planes are reckless or suicidal; and people who jump out of planes flying at low altitude over volcanos, well, they're beyond help. But that was our plan that day.

I was working on a documentary, filming an athlete skydiving over the Kamchatka in Russia. Known as "the land of fire and ice", it has 40 or so active volcanos, and is ­ covered in snow for nine months a year. The idea was to get footage of the athlete "flying" in front of a column of steam hundreds of feet high that was spewing from a vent in the side of a mountain.

-snip

I was very focused on my filming and had a viewfinder over my left eye, to help frame the video. To gauge distances, you really need both eyes, and because of the snow covering the volcano it was very difficult to sense height – all we could see was white.

Quite suddenly, I realised I could see the texture of the snow and ice, meaning I had two or three seconds before I hit the ground. I can't have been more than 20 metres up. Terror gripped my heart and stomach, the darkest of darkness. Then I had a clear thought of my wife and three-month-old daughter, and was overwhelmed by sadness as I felt the parachute lift from my back. I'd opened it without even thinking, just as you might instinctively hit the brakes in a car, and experienced a brief sense of hope. This is going to hurt a lot, I thought, or not at all."

-snip

This is an amazing story!

[yawnmaster]

1. I guarantee that anyone can survive a mere fall of 6000 feet...

can't guarantee the quick stop a few feet later won't kill you, though.

[pokerfan]

3. "This is going to hurt a lot"

This made me laugh. I remember saying those words at least twice in my life. Once, when I inadvertently rode a motorcycle over a cliff and again, when I inadvertently skied over a cliff in a fog. Both times, the first thought was, "I'm falling, this is going to hurt," followed by "I'm still falling, this is really going to hurt!" Both times I walked away with no injury, though the same could not be said for my equipment.

[yawnmaster]

4. after the first drive off a cliff with no injuries, you should have known that falling off a cliff..

causes no injuries. yet on the second fall, you still assumed you would be hurt?!?!
Next time you fall off a cliff, don't make such a rash assumption that you will be hurt!
That way you can enjoy the fall, much better!


disclaimer:
I in no way am saying that you should jump off a cliff nor that you will not be hurt from falling from said cliff.
Fall or jump off a cliff (or ride off) at your own risk.
Falling, jumping or riding off cliffs involves risk of loss to person and/or equipment and past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

[onestepforward]

6. I've said that myself a few times

but not under extreme circumstances! I'm glad you had no injuries :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. Good thing they were flying over snow, and not a'a'!

Incredible.

a 1m crater! Not many people living can say they did that.

:thumbsup:

I'm glad he survived!

[AllenVanAllen]

5. The chute pulling him around may have saved his life.

That fall kinda' reminds me of this skier's 300ft. death defying fall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3azFsOSBEHE


:loveya: