Should we watch or turn our heads ?

[cocheese 0]

This is a serious question about if you saw someone going in. Should we watch or turn our head and cover our ears ?

Many here have seen this and i would suspect some wish that they would have looked away. But on the other hand, maybe something can be learned from watching all of the decent.

I once thought i was to see this and consciously thought about turning my head, but the jumper went behind the trees on an AAD fire.

I think i'm going to turn my head and cover my ears if I'm ever in this situation again.

Do you have a plan ?

[NWFlyer 2]

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Do you have a plan ?

No, but I suspect it will involve looking away. I just have a feeling that's the instinct that will prevail.

"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

[sioux 0]

Dude. This is a seriously horrible thing to contemplate...

That said, a friend watched as another friend had a main and reserve entaglement and watched as his friend disappeared behind the trees. The guy on the ground ran to the point of impact to find his friend crawling out of a small marsh, brushing off the mud, saying "Dude, did you see that?!"

I have no idea what I would do....

I haven't seen such convoluted lines of conversation and such expert chronicling thereof since my days of all day bong marathons in college. ~ Lindercles

[htrammel 0]

Instinct will prevail. I turned my head as my close friend bounced, but the sound is still with me 10 years later.

[Tink1717 2]

I would watch. I have seen many, many bodies of the dead in 25 years in the Fire Dept. I have seen two jumpers go in since I entered the sport. It has never occurred to me to look away.

Skydivers don't knock on Death's door. They ring the bell and runaway... It really pisses him off.
-The World Famous Tink. (I never heard of you either!!)
AA #2069 ASA#33 POPS#8808 Swooo 1717

[cocheese 0]

I've pondered everything.
Anyway... I too once ran til breathless into the woods hoping not to find the jumper in distress. It was his first jump. He was laughing saying" how did i do". The three of us looking for him fell to the ground trying to get our hearts to slow down.

[RhondaLea 4]

I've never turned away.

Only one incident was fatal, but I thought two others might be.

rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[lisamariewillbe 1]

I was a firefighter for many years, I think that I would personally not look away. Its not until way after grim things that it sets in and then I wished I hadnt seen it. Ive not seen someone go in, and I hope I never do. That being said I often get motherish when I see people landing out or the injuries and attempt to help.... even when dirty hippies hurt themselves dirt diving

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[lowpole 1]

Quote

This is a serious question about if you saw someone going in. Should we watch or turn our head and cover our ears ?

Many here have seen this and i would suspect some wish that would have looked away. But on the other hand, maybe something can be learned from watching all of the decent.

I turned around before the guy's AAD fired, it was @ rantoul wasn't it? He looked like he was unconsious and looked like he was going to go thru the museum.
I once thought i was to see this and consciously thought about turning my head, but the jumper went behind the trees on a AAD fire.

I think i'm going to turn my head and cover my ears if I'm ever in this situation again.

Do you have a plan ?

Darwin's Watching!

[cocheese 0]

Yes it was at Rantoul 2 years ago. Right after Franz opened up 100 feet over my sleeping head that morning.
Yea and we went to look for the jumper and locals said "He went In". In where ?
In the gate over there to get back IN to the event. Whew !
I gave them a lesson about sayin "went in" around us.
Whos on first ?

[PLFXpert 0]

I still haven't seen the part in the movie Fear where supposedly Mark Walberg's character sticks the family dog's bloodied head through the doggy door. A friend tipped me off before I saw it and every time since I've closed my eyes, covered my ears and quietly sang "Mary had a little Lamb" to myself (something I have done in these situations since childhood).

Does that answer your question?

<---does not want to see such things if doesn't have to and is not ingorant of what could happen despite hasn't seen it.

Edited to add: Having said that, I do realize the importance in some situations of shock therapy. I don't think this would be one of those, though.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[waltappel 1]

Quote

This is a serious question about if you saw someone going in. Should we watch or turn our head and cover our ears ?

Many here have seen this and i would suspect some wish that would have looked away. But on the other hand, maybe something can be learned from watching all of the decent.

I once thought i was to see this and consciously thought about turning my head, but the jumper went behind the trees on a AAD fire.

I think i'm going to turn my head and cover my ears if I'm ever in this situation again.

Do you have a plan ?

I hope I never have to find out what I would do.

Walt

[cocheese 0]

No Shit ?

[yardhippie 0]

Ive seen one person hit the ground under canopy and have to be ambo'd away. I watched another hit the ground and didnt think he'd live.
Ive seen a cypres fire.
I watched a C-182 full of my friends crash into a line of trees then into the ground.

That stuff happens so fast, I cant say you'd have time decide wether or not to watch.

Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

[cocheese 0]

I can blink quickly, but it's hard to when your eyes get so big in fear of the impending doom.

[twibbles 0]

If the situation happened to me, i don't think i'll actually comprehend what's going on until long after the event. I'll just won't believe what i'm seeing until i think it through. But i don't really know what i'll do, and i hope i don't have to find out the hard way.

Eugene



.

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of
people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

[mdrejhon 8]

I watched someone going in -- stunt airplane crash at an airshow. Actually, I was over 2 kilometers away and he dissappeared behind some buildings and I saw the puff of smoke from the crash.

It was only the next day, I saw it in the news that he was killed instantly

It didn't occur to me to turn my head, since I wasn't expecting someone to get killed.

[Brains 2]

Interesting question Cocheese. I have no idea what i personally would do. However, at holiday boogie a few years ago, a friend and i were standing next to the landing area and saw this guy throw a 270 WAY too low, i stood there staring and my friend instantly turned away. (The guy dug out and only tweaked an ankle, bruised his hip) I asked my buddy what was up. He told me that once you have seen one of your friends pound in, you never want to watch that shit again.

Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you.

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

Me being a "once DZO"...I had to watch....I never saw anyone "go in", but there were a couple of off DZ landings and a few worried (under statement) moments here and there, while racing for my truck...Me being me...would never turn away...if you turn away...how will you know what direction to run in so you can help?

Not fun, not fun, at all.

Bobbi

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[diablopilot 2]

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I've never turned away.

Me either.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

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while racing for my truck

Holy crap remember the EOD guys, and that one I picked up at the sewage treatment place, YUCK nothing like trying to convince the Navy it was their own people who crossed the "unknown" and them calling for the gun happy marines to stand down

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[SkydiveStMarys 0]

That was fucking crazy shit!!! When we found out all were OK...the Navy brass comes to see me and askes why I didn't inform the Navy about their own guys jumping??? HEEEELLLLLOOOOO!! McFly!!!! Anyone paying attention in the country?? Shit Heads!! I nearly lost it!! I had to walk away or I would have gone to jail..idiots!!!

Bobbi

A miracle is not defined by an event. A miracle is defined by gratitude.

[lisamariewillbe 1]

That was some funny shit... the best part was sitting there with uppers in the 60 range and watching them exit directly over the DZ, even I knew that was dumb... Some were great eye candy though... I still think we should have taken back the wall...

Sudsy Fist: i don't think i'd ever say this
Sudsy Fist: but you're looking damn sudsydoable in this

[gofast_ER 0]

hmm..i was just thinking of this a few days ago. One time at perris i was standing by the bomb shelter looking out at the landing area. I was thinking to myself "gosh iv been here alot and havent seen anyone make any bad landing mistakes; ie: low turns" Then less than a minute later i heard (at least i think i did...it may have been from someone near the pool) OH SHIIIITTTT!!!! and a very hard impact from a low turn.It was really messed up because i saw the whole thing from inital turn to impact. Im pretty sure the guy lived. He did get taken away by ambulance though. I didn't look away till it was too late. I hope I never see that again....very scary.

I may not agree with what you have to say but i'll defend to the death your right to say it.

[gmittar 0]

I think I would watch out of respect. I know this is kind of an odd concept, but this person, possibly a friend, is in deep shit, and if I can't even stand to witness it, then part of me is denying their suffering.

Weird, I know, but that's how I see it.

|>.<|
Seriously, W.T.F. mate?