Monday, May 29, 2006

Odds & Ends: Skydiving Reality Check

CNN reported two separate skydiving accidents over the weekend. Today in Kentucky, two experienced skydivers collided about 200 feet above the ground. One died after impact, and the other, his fall broken by a tree, survived with a broken leg.

Two days prior in Ohio, a a first-time skydiver slipped out of her harness during a tandem jump with an instructor, and fell to her death.

According to the Dropzone.com Skydiving Fatalities Database, there were 69 skydiving fatalities in 2004, 59 in 2005, and 11 (now 13?) so far in 2006. There are a lot of ways to spin the numbers, and there are many websites and other resources out there asserting that skydiving or (insert favorite outdoor adventure sport here) is safer than driving your car in traffic.

Probably. Maybe. Whatever. If it's your time to go, it's your time to go. Might as well have fun doing it. Skydiving remains on my "to do" list. I've just promised my wife that I'll tell her about it after the fact.

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