Skypunk

[guest]

If anyone has any questions regarding what happened you may post a response to this. Let's keep this simple, ask what you need to, otherwise this will become a huge thread of posts.

I was part of the 3 way, and was the last person to see him alive.

Just one quick correction, his passing occurred on the morning of May 30th.

Lee was a very special person to myself, and to many. I will always admire his courage, energy, enthusiasm, and motivation.

BTW: The person that posted the comment about Lee talking about if someone goes in (Skinflicka) is accurate, and he stood by that philosophy. Although his body was dead, his spirit is well alive. Don't confuse this fact.

All of us will deal with his passing in our own ways, let's just remember that he died doing what he absolutely loved.



I really wish I had more to say, but I don't right now. There is no instruction manual on how to deal with these kinds of situations.


C

[guest]

I thought this was a pretty tough policy that if you go in, the other jumpers should run like ##### and get the hell out of there.... Now I dont mean any disrespect, I am not a participant in your sport, my questions are out of curiosity.(please dont take for some sicko)
Was he dead on impact? I have heard of many examples of people breaking many bones but still making it out alive(with clibing falls etc..) if attention is immediatly given.
I was just wondering if Lee would have stood a greater chance of survival had attention been given by someone trained in first aid or th like...

pete

[guest]

I'm not a doctor, but I'm sure he was dead on impact. Another jumper took his vitals.

[Skinflicka]

Crash,

The cincy crew would like to give you a holler. I know you may not feel up to it at the moment. Give your self some time then drop me a note and I'll call you. We'd like to share our buddy's last adventure.

Peace bro'.

Jase.

Skinflicka@hotmail.com

[guest]

So lets hear it. The morning of the 30th. What were the conditions? Did something go wrong with the 3 way? Equipment problems? It will help me deal with this loss and hopefully help prevent this from happening to others to hear what went wrong.

Punk, ISP!

[guest]

okay, here's what happened. Lee exited on his back filming myself and another jumper on a three way. The plan: Jumper 1 pulls at about 5 seconds, myself at 7, Lee at whatever altitude he wanted to. When I tossed out at 7 seconds, Lee flew by me on his back, I counted 4 seconds after that, he then flipped on his belly 1 more second, hit the fog, 2 seconds after that I heard the beginning of his opening (crackel kind of sound) then a thump. (about a 14 second delay).

origionally the base of light fog started about 300 feet off the ground, and went up to about 600 or so. when we got to our exit point, the fog had lowered to the ground to the point where you couldn't see the ground untill about 75 feet or so. The weather conditions had quickly changed.

hope this clears some things up

[guest]

Thanks Crash.

[lowtoadgrl]

Crash,

I stand by you and Lee in the agreements made between base jumpers. As the girlfriend and a usual ground crew (get away driver) I have been on many base jumps with experienced jumpers. We all make the agreement to leave and call 911 if someone goes in. It's hard to understand unless your a base jumper I guess.

I have to say I met Lee the 1st time he jumped that tower ...he renamed it "death star" because of the 3 pronged star platform on top (it reminded him of Star Wars)... it had been called Cow paddy ( all those cows left a lot of mess and you had to be careful where you landed) We went out in January and I've never witnessed such a stunning jump. 4 jumpers the 1st and 2nd on 4 second delays from the top then a 5 sec from his friend and then...Lee at least 7 seconds on that one and he scared me..but he was great. Right as he pulled I heared "Woo woo woo woo woo" Then 3 seconds later he landed grinning ear from ear thanking my boyfriend over and over for getting him in this site. I'm so sad for the loss ...but I know he loved it. I've been up on that tower to the 1000ft platform and seen the view. It's beautiful and very peaceful with the full moon shining in the cooling pond below and the glow from the lights in Orlando in the distance.

I feel inappropriate asking this question, but why didin't you get his gear? I've been instructed to get the rig if I'm in this situation...but I'm sure it's not easy ....just wondered and ...was the fog the factor? I saw canopy out on the news? Did you get the camera?

Merry Christmas Lee...you know what this means.

[guest]

In this kind of situation I believe it is best to not tamper with anything that might be considered evidence in a homicide invistigation.

[guest]

This proves what a ##### wad you are. The whole point of any "grab the gear and run" policy would have been for the purpose of removing any BASE evidence. By leaving the gear and the camera, which you are probably on, defeats the whole purpose of that ##### up mentality. You suck.

[imported_Tom Aiello]

Maybe we ought to leave this thread for the facts of the incident?

Crash was trying to focus this thread on what people actually did. By posting recriminations here, all you can really achieve is making a relatively open, firsthand source of information shut up and not share. That's not really productive.

If you feel the need, perhaps you could start another thread on what you think people should have done. If you don't feel the need, I plan on starting that discussion in a few days, once people have cooled off about this specific incident.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

[guest]

You are utterly out of line and full of crap. The grab the rig and go policy applies (using common sense) when responsible base jumpers decide that it applies. It is not some code etched in stone.

Moving Lee's body to remove the rig would have had some interesting effects. Let's look closer:

1. Lee's family would have been informed the circumstances of his death were not fully known and the police may well have undertaken a more extensive investigation, causing more grief for friends and family

2. Moving or stealing evidence from the scene of a human death can be a felony. Obstruction of Justice is a serious charge and a local DA who does not understand BASE could use it as a tool to discourage BASE in their area and punish a few jumpers as well.

3. Removal of the rig would have forced the police to at least answer the question :Where is the rig? If you want to piss off the police even more than a bounce will, try forcing them to chase up a bunch of grotty BASE jumpers to try to find out who was stupid enough to strip gear off of a corpse.

Think before you empty your bile on this board. Unless you are trashing Robin Heid.

[guest]

well said dirtbag...wake up 'smokin Hot', if your dumb ass had touched the gear of a bounced collegue, letalone taken the gear and run, you will put your stupid ass in line for a murder investigation. THINK before you post !!!

[guest]

THINK before I post? Screw you bitch! The a-holes should not have left the scene in the first place. And if the instructions were to "bail with the gear", then they totally blue it! The chicken ##### cowards were in such a hurry to leave, they did not get the gear. They left the video behind, now brother Lee's dying flick is a public spectacle. Murder investigation? Get a fuckin' grip pal. My stupid ass would have removed the video, and stayed with my fallen brother. So you just get a big fat ##### you from me.

[imported_Tom Aiello]

Aero, Smokin' HOT:

I think we're all too close to this incident to have a constructive discussion about it. What's done is done.

The only really productive discussion we can have is about what to do NEXT time. And we can't have that discussion until we all get a little more distance from our friend's death.

Could we please drop this finger-pointing shouting match for now? It's unworthy to sully Lee's death this way.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com