Comments for "Skydiver Survives 5,000 Foot Freefall" Video at VideoSift.com

By silvercord

silvercord (http://silvercord.videosift.com) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:53:00 -0800

From Google:

Experienced skydiver Michael Holmes survived a free fall from 5,000 feet over New Zealand's Lake Taupo, ... all » and the whole thing was caught on tape by two cameras. It happened two months ago. The cameras were on Holmes' helmet and the helmet of fellow skydiver Jonathan King. Holmes was plummeting to the Earth at 70 mph. He pulled the cord for his main parachute at 4,000 feet, but it didn't fully open, even though it caught enough air to violently spin him around. Seconds later, he pulled the cable to free his main chute, but it was snared in his harness and wouldn't break away.

At 2,000 feet, he faced a dire choice: release his reserve chute, which could tangle in the main chute and completely wipe out the little lift he had, or ride it out with the main chute only, hoping it would fully inflate before he hit the ground. He had to make a decision in seconds. After 700 feet, he knew the reserve chute would make little difference. He decided to release his reserve chute. As he feared, it snagged in the main chute and failed to open. Holmes was now 15 seconds from impact.

He waved good-bye to the camera at 530 feet and believed he was going to die. Michael crashed into a thicket of blackberry bushes. King swooped down to his side.

"Talk to me, bro," King asked Holmes. "Talk to me, man. You OK?"

"No," Holmes answered.

He was not OK, but incredibly, Holmes was alive. After falling into the blackberry bush, his lung had been punctured and he had a broken ankle, the BBC reported.

By InvaderSil

InvaderSil (http://www.videosift.com/member/InvaderSil) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:06:15 -0800

wow...

By Farhad2000

Farhad2000 (http://farhad.videosift.com) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:07:16 -0800

Just unbelievable.

Had he landed in the water it would have been all over.

By dag

dag (http://dag.videosift.com) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:22:09 -0800

ditto, wow.

By rembar

rembar (http://www.videosift.com/member/rembar) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 01:09:52 -0800

Oh my shit.

By ant

ant (http://www.videosift.com/member/ant) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 05:24:05 -0800

Wow.

By westy

westy (http://www.videosift.com/member/westy) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:02:09 -0800

maby at 70 the water would have still brken his fall and not been to hard. it wasent realy a free fall as his shoot was part open. i used to have model rockets as a kid and thay just had a streemer to produce drag so thay came down ok. still pritty remarcable that he was ok i wonder what the comparatable fall with no shoot at all would be.

By silvercord

silvercord (http://silvercord.videosift.com) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:47:06 -0800

Wecti - know shoot = splaaat!

By cybrbeast

cybrbeast (http://www.videosift.com/member/cybrbeast) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:51:50 -0800

Wow, amazing.
There have been a few people who have survived true free falls at terminal velocity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-fall#People_surviving_free_fall

By LadyBug

LadyBug (http://ladybug.videosift.com) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:03:23 -0800

that mad me cry ... the wave ... when he said 'bye' ... *lump in throat*

By gorgonheap

gorgonheap (http://www.videosift.com/member/gorgonheap) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:38:36 -0800

That was insanely amazing. I bet he was just as suprised to be alive as everyone else watching this was.

By batmanuel

batmanuel (http://www.videosift.com/member/batmanuel) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:00:13 -0800

maby at 70 the water would have still brken his fall and not been to hard.

I was reading an article on this a couple of days ago and it said the skydiver didn't aim for the water because he thought if he hit the water he would be knocked unconscious and drown. The site also had the flash video of this but it was not from a site that video sift accepts. :-(

Here's a link to a longer version.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/mos/skydiver.html?in_article_id=435694&in_page_id=1990&in_a_source=

By evilernie

evilernie (http://www.videosift.com/member/evilernie) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:09:53 -0800

He said he couldn't wait to go back to work, I hope he doesn't slip in the shower.

By Deano

Deano (http://www.videosift.com/member/Deano) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:58:46 -0800

Lucky son of a gun. Amazing.

By leeweek

leeweek (http://www.videosift.com/member/leeweek) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:51:09 -0800

dead

By Raytrace

Raytrace (http://www.videosift.com/member/Raytrace) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:36:55 -0800

damn i missed it.

By pragmatick

pragmatick (http://www.videosift.com/member/pragmatick) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:42:33 -0800

crap
undead it

By dag

dag (http://dag.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:50:38 -0800

Bummer *dead

By siftbot

siftbot (http://siftbot.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 03:50:39 -0800

The link to this video has been flagged as dead. Fix it within 7 days or it will be discarded (dead called by gold star member dag)

By silvercord

silvercord (http://silvercord.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:21:38 -0800

Come forth, Lazarus!

*undead

By siftbot

siftbot (http://siftbot.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 08:21:39 -0800

The link to this video has been fixed (undead called by original submitter silvercord)

By dag

dag (http://dag.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:54:20 -0800

*dead again

By siftbot

siftbot (http://siftbot.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:54:21 -0800

The link to this video has been flagged as dead. Fix it within 7 days or it will be discarded (dead called by gold star member dag)

By silvercord

silvercord (http://silvercord.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:50:41 -0800

*undead rise up!

By siftbot

siftbot (http://siftbot.videosift.com) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 19:50:42 -0800

The link to this video has been fixed (undead called by original submitter silvercord)

By wildmanBill

wildmanBill (http://www.videosift.com/member/wildmanBill) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:13:41 -0800

Real life Superman.

By leeweek

leeweek (http://www.videosift.com/member/leeweek) — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:50:21 -0800

jesus, both, the skydiver and the post have zombie like qualities
lol
"are you ok?" "no (bitch i just fell 5000 feet wtf do think i am, fresh and bushy tailed after my nap in the fucking bushes?)"

By darksun

darksun (http://darksun.videosift.com) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 09:55:58 -0800

*Removed for the miserable people in this world*

By sillma

sillma (http://www.videosift.com/member/sillma) — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 18:42:09 -0800

wouldn't call that a free fall though.

By kulpims

kulpims (http://www.videosift.com/member/kulpims) — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:45:01 -0700

*wings *eia

By siftbot

siftbot (http://siftbot.videosift.com) — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:45:01 -0700

Adding video to channels (Eia, Wings) - requested by kulpims.