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Message: <blockquote data-quote="C_Hallbert" data-source="post: 4300776" data-attributes="member: 42957">I made sic civilian jumps at Elsinore and Perris Field in CA in 1967 before deploying to RVN. After a short class and practicing falls, we jumped, repacked our own main chutes, jumped again and again repacked our own chutes (this time on the ground which collected dirt and leaves that blasted out of the chute when it opened). I was 20 years old then and single. During this short time when I was jumping, I experienced a partial malfunction on the first jump when the left control cord tangled out of reach pulling one of the steering panels on a modified T10 Parachute open and causing the chute to spin. I had to pull the other control to its maximum to stop the spin. With both panels open to the maximum, the rate of decent was increased and I burned in pretty hard. The instructors said my parachute landing fall was perfect and I had no injuries. This chute had been packed by a professional Rigger, not me. About two weeks before, an expert jumper had a premature release from his chute during a water jump. He fell almost 200 feet winch resulted in both femurs being driven out of his hip sockets. The blood vessels on his feet looked like raised red webbing. Another expert jumper named Cathy Stenger (that had about 800 jumps experience) and did some part-time professional exhibition jumping) collided with another jumper while attempting to hook-up during a high altitude jump ( over 12,000 feet). . She was knocked unconscious and apparently didn’t have an automatic low altitude safety ripcord release system, and was killed. I was spending the night up there when it happened. On my last jump, the young fellow out of the plane before me panicked and pulled up his legs as he touched the ground. We circled the field for almost 45 minutes until the EMS Responders got him off the Drop Zone. He had serious vertebral compression fractures and couldn’t move or feel his legs. Years later, my friend ‘Rocky’  Eales a former USMC Officer and OHP Trooper was making a HALO (High Altitude,Low Opening) jump with a military HALO Chute System. His main chute deployed but didn’t open correctly (streamer). He disconnected it and pulled the ripcord on his reserve. This one worked. Sky Diving is serious business and the risks should be well considered before adopting it as a recreational alternative. Note- many Life Insurance Policies will not cover accidental death if it should happen and one’s family can be left in financial ruin. It is an exciting sport, though…</blockquote>

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