Tragedy, another fatality skydiving

[livendive 8]

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And I hope my friends feel the same when I'm gone (they can still bitch me out for leaving them ... however I leave them and they can have my stuff but they have to line up and get in a nice, orderly manner!)

My daughter gets most of my stuff, but a certain friend gets my skydiving gear. The catch is that he first has to get current enough at jumping without a drogue that he can successfully organize and participate in my ash dive...and yes that's specifically written into my papers.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[peckerhead 0]

Focus on the positive....

Most of the dead skydivers I know crashed in airplanes or got old and quit jumping.

I guess I have been lucky.

[airtwardo 7]

got old and quit jumping.


***

Or quit jumping THEN got old!

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

[Shell666 0]

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But don't get me wrong, AggieDave ... I lost a very dear friend skydiving in 1996 (actually, two dear friends about 4 days apart but there's a WHOLE other story about Dave!). And every year, I go to Mel's grave with another friend and we bring a bottle of wine, drink to her, pour some her grave and leave a little memento of her (one year it was the Crack Choir light necklaces I made ... I'm a Crack and I'm PROUD!, because that's what we do!)

I fully understand. Every year on Nov 18th I lift a drink to Scott West and the other 11 that died that day. It took me a while to come to the conclusions I did that I posted here tonight. Basically its that I will be sad, I will remember, but I'm not going to let someone's death change me to the point of changing who I am, what I do and my character. This thread came about due to having a conversation with someone who doesn't jump anymore due to loosing a friend jumping. I know that I would be pissed if any of my friends stopped jumping if I died jumping. I'm very sure that the rest of my friends in skydiving would feel the same way.

That's a really good point. But everyone is different. All the losses I've had in my life (be it in the sport or outside of the sport, by their own hand or because of an illness), LOSING someone has changed me in some way.

And if it changes you, then it changes you. If that's a choice someone makes, that's a choice they make. I won't judge them. It's their life and their memories and their CHOICE.

I would never begrudge ANYONE for making a choice in THEIR life. It's THEIR life.

I don't know you, but I've read a lot of your posts on here and I'd be surprised to find out that losing someone hasn't changed you in some way. Maybe not a major change, but I bet it's made you a different person, perhaps, only in a small way.

'Shell

'Shell

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

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Focus on the positive....

Most of the dead skydivers I know crashed in airplanes or got old and quit jumping.

I guess I have been lucky.

Hell YEAH lucky YOU...most of the losses I've experienced in the past 3 years have been FREAK accidents that just don't happen...it's been way too many.

_________________________________________

[AggieDave 6]

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Focus on the positive....

I typically do, this thread is from a conversation I had with a low time jumper from my DZ. Talking about life in the sport, out of the sport and how people react to death/injuries there in.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Shell666 0]

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they can have my stuff but they have to line up and get in a nice, orderly manner!)

***

Dibs on the Saskatoon and Rhubarb PIE!

That's not the STUFF that's up for grabs!

Sorry ... back of the line. You might get my leftover ziploc containers!





(was that a not so subtle reminder that I said I would make pie and I haven't??)

'Shell

'Shell

[AggieDave 6]

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I don't know you, but I've read a lot of your posts on here and I'd be surprised to find out that losing someone hasn't changed you in some way. Maybe not a major change, but I bet it's made you a different person, perhaps, only in a small way.

There is one that did. It changed me greatly, and not for the better. I suffered from PTSD for a long time after that death. Basically from that point on I decided I would never let my life fall to that level ever again. That death and event nearly destroyed my life and I'm still disappointed in myself for letting it do so. So I've come to the point that I understand that death happens, it happens when it happens and once it happens we can't change it. So letting death effect our lives drastically will do nothing but harm ourselves. I'm not trying to sound jaded, sorry if what I'm saying sounds that way, I promise its not what I'm trying to get across.

I guess I'm also annoyed with people's excuses for stopping something they love. Be it skydiving or something else, due to a death in that activity. If its an activity you love (and its a positive hobby/activity), then go on and continue. Know what I mean?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[airtwardo 7]

(was that a not so subtle reminder that I said I would make pie and I haven't??)

'Shell

[Shell666 0]

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I don't know you, but I've read a lot of your posts on here and I'd be surprised to find out that losing someone hasn't changed you in some way. Maybe not a major change, but I bet it's made you a different person, perhaps, only in a small way.

There is one that did. It changed me greatly, and not for the better. I suffered from PTSD for a long time after that death. Basically from that point on I decided I would never let my life fall to that level ever again. That death and event nearly destroyed my life and I'm still disappointed in myself for letting it do so. So I've come to the point that I understand that death happens, it happens when it happens and once it happens we can't change it. So letting death effect our lives drastically will do nothing but harm ourselves. I'm not trying to sound jaded, sorry if what I'm saying sounds that way, I promise its not what I'm trying to get across.

O god, no! You don't sound jaded at all. Like I said, people deal with loss differently (and differently with each loss).

You get through it however you can. Some people, better than others. Some losses, better than others.

I guess you answered your own question ... What are your thoughts on life and death in skydiving?

It's different for everyone ... it's different for every loss ...

(except for airtwardo who just wants pie!)

Thanks for the introspective thread ...
'Shell

'Shell

[airtwardo 7]

(except for airtwardo who just wants pie!)

Thanks for the introspective thread ...


***

Just a simple man, with simple needs....all this 'self aware' stuff makes my brain hurt....and makes me HUNGRY!

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

[Ragnarok 0]

I lost 4 friends on the 29th of July at Quantum Leap. I missed out jumping that day because I had sent the rig in the week before for some work.

It really sucks. It still affects me, and I know it affects everyone else that calles Quantum Leap home. I remember them often - especially when I jump and end the day with a beer with my friends.

I am a Combat Medic and an Army Nurse. I have spent my time in Iraq, at the hospital in Baghdad. I have seen too much death already, and this has been really hard to get through. Best thing - I have my friends - and they have me. I get through because of them.

I will not stop living. I accept that I dance with the Reaper. Those that dance are considered insane by those that cannot hear the music.

_________________________________________
Twin Otter N203-Echo,29 July 2006
Cessna P206 N2537X, 19 April 2008
Blue Skies Forever

[MarkR 0]

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Beyond that, life happens and I'd rather die out living it then on the couch watching others living it for me.

Now that's what I'm calling a life's motto.

»Somewhere between the lies and truths borderlines get shady.
Somewhere between the yesses and nos you can find the maybe.«

[piisfish 140]

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If I had a double mal and burned in, I hope that my friends are on my ash dive and then have a HUGE party with Jack Daniels and Shiner Bock flowing. Same if I die swooping, die on my motorcycle, in a car wreck or I'm killed at work.

I fully hope that no one stops jumping or ruins their life due to my passing.

I would want the same.. except I hope they would have real drinks

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[popsjumper 2]

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...I don't jump with dead people.

Maybe we could hook you up with a 2-way with Bernie.





(The reference is not as obscure as one would first think.)

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[Icon134 0]

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Dibs on the Saskatoon and Rhubarb PIE!

The hard part is going to be finding fresh saskatoons and Rhubarb in my area... but I haven't forgotten my promise...

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[airtwardo 7]

(The reference is not as obscure as one would first think.)

***

"Three Way with Bernie"

I see another movie in the works!


Of course it would be a porno flick!!!

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