navaide 0 #1 April 21, 2002 Did anyone hear about the guy who jumped off of the Mckay Building in Anchorage, Alaska and suffered injuries? Apparently he was not familiar with base jumping and his canopy did not open. He landed on 6 inches of snow. Broke both legs, suffered pelvic injuries and was in critical condition.Sky diver hurt in leap off MacKayCRITICAL: Visiting Canadian badly injured in 14-story jump when chute malfunctions. By Nicole Tsong Anchorage Daily News (Published: April 16, 2002) A visiting Canadian sky diver leaped from the MacKay Building around midnight Sunday and learned a harsh lesson when his parachute failed to open completely.Police said male, 32, plunged 14 stories from the roof, past scaffolding and gaping windows to the surrounding construction area, where his landing was cushioned only by 6 inches of snow.The resident of Ontario, Canada, was taken to Alaska Regional Hospital with broken bones in his legs and pelvis and a collapsed lung, police said. He remained in critical condition in the hospital's intensive care unit, according to a friend. Two women who were at the East Fourth Avenue site with Kell to watch him jump, told police he was an experienced sky diver but had little practice with what is called base jumping, parachuting off of structures."There's not much to tell," said Krysia Price, an Anchorage resident. She said Kell was in town visiting. She would not elaborate about the incident until she had spoken with Kell's parents.Police spokesman Ron McGee said Kell may be cited for trespassing or endangering the lives of other people.Kell apparently got past or over the fence that surrounds the building, which is undergoing extensive renovation. He jumped about 12:30 a.m.Officers responding to the fall climbed the fence to reach Kell and medics cut part of the fence to carry him out, McGee said.City law requires developers to fence off a construction area but does not require further security, said Joe Murdy, director of the city's Development Services Department.The MacKay opened in 1952 as a luxury apartment tower, but it was damaged in the 1964 earthquake and then repaired. The building was emptied of tenants and condemned in the 1980s, and a decade later, the city began to look at demolishing the run-down building. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo 0 #2 April 21, 2002 QuoteDid anyone hear about the guy who jumped off of the Mckay Building in Anchorage, Alaska and suffered injuries? Apparently he was not familiar with base jumping and his canopy did not open. He landed on 6 inches of snow. Broke both legs, suffered pelvic injuries and was in critical condition.I don't want to be an asshole, but this is how rumors and misinformation gets spread. You say in your own commentary (and likely what you'll tell your whuffo friends) that his parachute did not open. When only a few lines later the news article reports that his parachute did not open completely. I don't know about you, but I think that's a hell of a difference. Apparently it opened enough to save his life, correct?If you're going to report these things then at least get the facts straight.-Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #3 April 21, 2002 I find it really annoying when people, especially News reporters, give the wrong facts about skydiving / base injuries or fatalities. I'm not specifically refering to this one, but it'd be nice to hear something other than "his parachute didn't open" once in a while. When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or you're loose, its how drunk you get. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 20 #4 April 21, 2002 Yet another example of why your average skydiver should'nt look at BASE...... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkydiveMonkey 0 #5 April 21, 2002 At least not without good training and lots of skydiving experience anyway. When you participate in sporting events, its not whether you win or you're loose, its how drunk you get. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
navaide 0 #6 April 21, 2002 This was an article that appeared in the news paper...not an opinion on my part. This was for information purposes only. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cloudseeker2001 0 #7 April 22, 2002 i wonder if he rolled the nose...................."remember when we were in africa" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheMarshMan1 0 #8 April 22, 2002 6 inches of snow would NOT cushion your fall enough for you to survive without a canopy at least partly out. "If I could be like that, I would give anything, just to live one day, in those shoes..." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #9 April 22, 2002 QuoteYet another example of why your average skydiver should'nt look at BASE......exactly!!!!!!!Cheers....vasbytmarc"I have no fear of falling, I just hate hitting the ground"-The Badlees... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflyguy 0 #10 April 22, 2002 I heard the building was something like 120 feet tall.Experienced BASE jumpers don't do 120 feet. 200 is hardcore. So he is lucky to be alive, but not the brightest bulb on the rack. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skymedic 0 #11 April 22, 2002 the building was 14 stories tall....take that times approx 15 foot for commercial high rise and you end up with 210 feet...it was probably 10 to 15 feet higher than that with all the other fun stuff on top of normal high rises.....I say this as both a firefighter/paramedic and a BASE jumper.....210 feet is not "hard core".....150 foot is....and you can pull off a 150 foot base jump.....not that I'd know...or anything...lowest for me is 235....Cheers....vasbytmarc"I have no fear of falling, I just hate hitting the ground"-The Badlees... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scratch 0 #12 April 22, 2002 Quotelowest for me is 235....[Mr T voice] Crazy fool!!! [/Mr T voice]Every day above ground is a good day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skreamer 1 #13 April 22, 2002 Quotei wonder if he rolled the nose....................LMFAO, his canopy was probably a Cobalt.... "Look before you jump, don't die until you're dead" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
