Skydiver survives 3-mileplunge without a chute

[LiberalArkie]

15,000ft fall was broken by bush.
That's the first good thing Bush has done since he took office!




<http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/tm_headline=skydiver-survives-3-mile-plunge-without-a-chute-&method=full&objectid=18307903&siteid=66633-name_page.html>

A SKYDIVER plummeted almost three miles after his parachutes failed to open - and survived.

Brit Michael Holmes's 15,000ft fall was broken by a blackberry bush.

The 25-year-old parachute instructor admitted his last thought before he hit the ground was: "S***, I'm going to die."

<snip>

[skypilot]

1. "S***, I'm going to have...

...the "falling" dream every night for the rest of my life."

Glad the guy's OK. Something like that must change you entire outlook on just about everything.

[bahrbearian]

2. I hope the guys that made "Jackass" don't get any Ideas.

[JHB]

5. Well, if they did, this would put an end to it right quick.

And permanently. Whether this would be a positive or negative is at the discretion of the reader.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Blackberry Bush? Which one is he?

Is he the one that understands the internets?

[shadowknows69]

4. Um, shouldn't some government agency be doing tests on this guy?

Superman Returns?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. What's amazing is he doesn't even hold the free fall and survive record

From the article:

Air stewardess Vesna Vulovic plunged 33,000ft strapped into her seat in the tail section of a Yugoslavian passenger plane after a mid-air bombing in 1972.

[madokie]

13. I remember reading this one

[Kingshakabobo]

16. HTF? (how the f--k?) nt

edit to add:

Wiki article....WOW!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesna_Vulovic

[Az]

17. Humans are more resiliant than we give them credit for

and chance plays a part in any impact no matter the speed. Statistics. If the odds of dying from a fall of extreme height is 99.999% that still means someone will survive every once in a while.

[Kingshakabobo]

18. Apparently so!

More from Wiki. I guess it makes sense that terminal velocity is reached whether you fall from 30k or 15k.....or 1k.. No?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-fall#People_surviving_free_fall

Still, WOW.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

21. I think I'd die from fear if I didn't pass out first.

They were both made of much tougher stuff than I am.

[Az]

The first two miles are scary

But the last mile you calm down and actually start to enjoy the view.

Its not the fall that does the damage. Its the sudden stop. :evilgrin:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

23. I have no fear of falling, even for miles.

It's the sudden stop I fear immensely!

[Skidmore]

7. Ouch!

[rodeodance]

8. His fall is not the longest survived by a human.--lookie here:

His fall is not the longest survived by a human.

Air stewardess Vesna Vulovic plunged 33,000ft strapped into her seat in the tail section of a Yugoslavian passenger plane after a mid-air bombing in 1972.

She was found on the snow covered side of a mountain with a fractured skull, broken legs and three shattered vertebrae.

[slackmaster]

9. Article doesn't say anything about him being scratched up

...He escaped from his 120mph plunge with a broken ankle and a punctured lung....

:shrug:

[shain from kane]

11. Wile E. Coyote landed on a cactus.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Blackberry cobbler rocks

:yourock:

[slackmaster]

12. Blackberry mead is better

:nuke:

[madokie]

14. You bet, we didn't have any blackberries to speak of this past year

but the year before our vines were loaded, never seen so many on them before. They are the largest wild blackberries I have ever seen.

[Az]

15. Please don't let Matt Lauer interview him

Lauer has an obsession with stories of people surviving ... well anything. No matter how trivial the incident he always tries to work the word miracle into the interview and typically by trying to steer the survivor into saying it. The case that nearly cracked me up was when a guy got tossed by a tornado a couple hundred yards. Lauer was all over him asking him if it was a miracle. The guy kept saying "Na, its just one of those things that happens". Lauer kept working him over going after the sound bite that never came.

[0rganism]

19. Once again, the lifesaving properties of blackberries are illustrated

All hail the mighty Blackberry! Strong are its vines, and persistent its growth!

[depakid]

20. Damn, that must have hurt

amazing the he came out of with only a broken ankle and a punctured lung. And doubtlessly more scratches than a kitty post.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

22. I imagine it took some time to remove all the thorns

Of course with his luck he landed in a thornless blackberry.

[itsrobert]

24. Dr. Henry Jones Jr. plus 2 fell from an aircraft

and plunged a great distance riding an inflatible raft.