Date: October 15, 1989 Nationality: American
Location: Royal Gorge, Colorado, USA
COD: Strike (Canopy)
Clothes / Suit: Normal Clothes
Description:
David went off hand-held with a large pilot chute. The top of the pilot chute and several inches of mesh were exposed. The pilot chute partially inflated before he released it. This tipped him backwards and torqued him as the canopy opened, giving him multiple line twists. He tried to untwist and almost succeeded, but hit the wall not very far above the bottom.
He suffered moderate orthopedic injuries to his lower legs and a gash on his forehead, but what killed him was his camera.
David was a professional photographer and stowed his camera inside his jumpsuit with the lens against his body.
When he hit the wall, the lens ruptured one or more of his internal organs and he bled to death internally before that injury was noticed or diagnosed.
Later investigation revealed that Dave had corresponded with a highly experienced jumper, and had misunderstood that jumper's suggestion about holding a pilot chute with the top outside the hand-hold for faster inflation.
Instead of exposing only the top of the PC, he also exposed mesh, which caused it to inflate before he pitched.
He was unable to clear the resulting line twists before hitting the wall, in part because the Royal Gorge is only about 150 wide at the point of impact.
The Royal Gorge Bridge is first jumped by Don Boyles, using gut gear, in 1975.
If you have a picture of this jumper please contact us
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