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I am the person who got caught up in the guy wire that night. The legal situation has been settled, so…

I am posting this SOLELY for educational reasons. I am NOT going to mention any other names, nor do I wish any other names to be mentioned, unless they choose to name themselves.

Background info: I have 422 skydives over 6 years.

I ground crewed for multiple BASE jumps to become familiar w/ the sport.

I practiced BASE swimming pool exits for a couple hours.

I watched hours and hours of video.

And I decided not to try BASE.

What happened that night:
It was a really bad day for our dropzone. Someone hooked in and I, as staff, helped medivac them. After the day was done, there was a crew going out to jump and I joined them. I wanted to try BASE to bring a positive finish to the day, and satisfy my curiosity, even though I didn't think it was for me.

The Ride:

*I* decide I wanted to S/L. I had encouragement from everyone on an equal basis. They all knew me well and felt I had the experience and skill to complete the jump.

NO ONE was my mentor. This jump was MY decision to make.

The Jump: After climbing to about 330 ft we stopped. After checking the wind we saw it was coming perpendicular to the guy wires. I didn't think it was too bad to jump and I asked about it. The others confirmed my analysis.

After a bit of thought, I said, "no, I'm not going."

The reply: "Okay. Let's go down."

I stopped and looked around for a bit.

As people were starting to climb down I said, "Wait. I'm going to exit."

After the "Are you sure?" I asked to be tied off, and I was. I asked to have my gear checked over again.

After the check, I had a light on the horizon pointed out to me as my exit target. I also had the guy wires pointed out to me twice, by two different people.

I got into an exit position and asked if it was okay. My position was corrected twice. I then asked, "Now am I okay?" I was told, "Yes."

I then counted down and left the object.

I went head down on the exit, then got canopy. I did a canopy check and grabbed my toggles. I saw the guy wire coming close so I tried to correct but didn't give the canopy enough input.

The next thing I saw was my canopy wrapping the guy wire, putting me into 8 or so line twists which after a bit came out. I was then stuck.

The rest was on the news.

What happened on the jump (the lesson.)?

Because I was head down, I lost my bearing and didn't realize that I had exited at a significant angle. I thought I had left the object straight forward but was wrong. I then wrapped the guy wire.

What else went wrong:
My failure to jump a BASE canopy previously. I gave incorrect input during my attempt to rectify the situation I was presented with.
(I reacted as if I was on my stiletto 120.)

The bottom line:

Be aware of your exit, keep awareness, and know thy canopy.


Blue Skies!

Thank you for posting this. It takes courage to step up and examine your mistakes, and even more to share them with others.

Bryan...I'm not a bad guy, so don't take this Post the wrong way.
also: I don't what this to be some kind of Flame-Fest on you by others.

Dude...that's to bad that you got hung up on your very first BASE jump.
That must have scared the Hell out of you.
Sounds also like you learned a lot that night
That is also to bad you did not have someone teaching you... (a Mentor)
I hate that word ( Mentor ) Sounds like your... "BASE Guidance Counselor."
Or your Fucking .."BASE life partner."

Anyway it's to bad you didn't have someone to, Prep. you up on your Exit
and Body Positioning on Exit for Static Line.
The person that tied you off.. ??? for S/L

Your correct Body positioning for Exit on S/L ...body at least 45 deg.- head-up.

A beginner / Student should never be told to go his Toggles for Heading Correction.
on a Tower Jump. Should Only use your Risers.

Going strait for your Toggles for your heading correction on any object other than a
Bridge is an ADVANCED MOVE... not for a beginner.

also: " NO ONE was my mentor. This jump was MY decision to make. "
*** Lets take that sentence.***
> Dude that is ... WRONG , WRONG, WRONG
1.-That was your first JUMP
2.- That was you first CLIMB ?
3.- YOU...let someone take responsibility for... Tying YOU OFF
4.- You let someone give you a gear check
5.- You also relied on outside impute for: Packing, Exit. Body positioning and Awareness. etc.

(mentor) Let's just call this mother fucker your...BASE Advisor / He Advised You... "OK."

THERE IS SOME RESPONSIBILITY THERE / that shit does not fly with me at all.
You needed help on your first BASE jump and that is COOL everybody does.
** Yes ** it was your decision. That is the ONLY TRUE THING IN THAT SENTENCE.

I have taken several people on there... FIRST TOWER JUMP (from the DZ)
I Trained them up, I helped them pack, I helped them climb up, I helped them climb out the structure.
I Put Them Off...and... I Take -Some- Responsibility For Them JUMPING.

( We need to get this strait right now. )
You were on your FIRST BASE JUMP and you learned a lot that night and that's GREAT.

NOBODY ON THERE FIRST BASE JUMP TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY .....
THAT'S WHY THEY FUCKING CALL IT YOUR, "FIRST BASE JUMP"....!!!

(I'm not through yet)
Let's take ..."The bottom line: "
you say..."Be aware of your exit, keep awareness, and know thy canopy."

Sound advise but That's the Understatement of the Year.
I know I may be a little harsh in some of this Post but...
It takes a lot of work to become a solid BASE jumper and you need someone that is
solid with some knowledge to help you and work through those problems.
when you find that person it will be, "Your decision to jump" and he will share in some
of the responsibility when teaching you.
.
That jump must have given you a lot to think about.
I Hope your next BASE jump will better for you and you have fun.

 
Yikes, that one gave me the shivers . . .

Well, that's not the way to have fun (these days) but, on the other hand going about it in that fashion has a certain amount of charm. It's Retro BASE, and it's how everyone in my generation did it.

I knew at least as much, and probably less, than you, when I made my first tower jump.

I'm glad you are okay.

NickD
BASE 194

 

I went head down on the exit, then got canopy. I did a canopy check and grabbed my toggles. I saw the guy wire coming close so I tried to correct but didn't give the canopy enough input.
Would anyone disagree that heading correction should come before doing a "canopy check" and grabbing your toggles?
~J
~"I saw the guy wire coming close"
The guy wire saw YOU coming close
Glad you're ok.

It's Retro BASE, and it's how everyone in my generation did it.

I knew at least as much, and probably less, than you, when I made my first tower jump.
----------------------------------------------
That's how we did it and todays jumpers have the benefit of our experience to take advantage of. I don't have the fatality list memorized but wasn't one of the very early ones a wire strike?

-------------------------------
I'm glad you are okay.

NickD
BASE 194-----------------------------
I'm glad you're OK too.

jon

Heading correction should be your top priority after opening.

Avoiding object strike should be the first thing on your mind after opening. Once that priority is taken care of, the next thing should be landing safely.

Hey... Nick and Jon

I'm not trying chew this guy's ass off by pointing out Technique faults or the Blame-Game.

It's about responsibility and being on your first BASE jump.
Your first few BASE jumps are about the only few times were you actually give up some of your Responsibility.

A first time jumper share his responsibility with the person who trains him up and puts him off.

I have Trained up and put off several first time jumpers off a Antenna in the cold, dark night.
Most of them very closely resemble Bryan Klindworth, In number of skydives and eagerness
to do his first BASE jump.

Ever time I help one climbed out around the cross brasses and leaned out over the ground.
I folded there Pilot Chute, put it in there hand and tell them everything is clean and they
"Are good to go."
I still find myself talking to them over there shoulder and repeating all the technical rundown on
Launching, Body positioning and what to do after the canopy opens. Mostly because I am as
scared for them and there safety as they are of jumping.

Do you know what reminds me of "MY Resposibility" for there first jump more than anything ???

That would be the knots and those little twinges you feel in the pit of your stomach.
From the time they launch. Till the time they do that 180-turn around and land safely.

Just like Nick and Jon. I am glad you are safe and sound.
I also meant what I said
"I Hope your next BASE jump will better for you and you have fun."
.

having in mind it were his first jump,i can understand why he did a canopy chek first,we al learned so in the skyenvioment.
However i noticed that i only chek my canopy as somthing is wrong(an uninflated cell or similar)Basicly i just feel the canopy,and only look up in case it dont feels right,that way i can focus the top prio. to not hit anything nearby.

he he yeah what he said.

Also glad your ok

Brian that's a great story and I'm glad you're still alive. But to me, I just don't think all the truth as you claim, is being told. I have heard from 3 of the 4 jumpers in this situation and have recieved 3 different stories. How does this happen? Are you guys covering something up or do you all just not remember what went on or were you impared slightly? I can understand small things not being remembered correctly but jeez man. Get your stories straight before telling them.

So you said the legal siuation has been settled? Can you please tell us what the charges and fines were. How did you defend yourself? What was your plea and what punishment did you recieve? This would be way more educational than your story. Thanks.

Brian, there are many, many more lessons to be learned from this incident than the ones you listed. I hope you realize this and just didn't put it into words here on the net.

stay safe
Jason
570

Great video by the way!

how about all involved get on a conference call or meet in person? I could schedule and coordinate meeting after the 29th if interested.

edit to add: you, Jason, are invited also.

well, that's pretty much the way i remember it...
except that i had a gun to his head and told him he had to jump or i'd throw his dead body off.

actually, that's not true. i was much further up the tower when he jumped.

and i already told him i was glad he was alright.

~E

agreed... maybe a gun was needed to force him to climb back down?

There are some things that others wanted emphasis put on that I didn't put out there in my original post.


the time from exit to wire strike, I've been told, was about 4 seconds. My sense of time during the jump was distorted so I take their word for it.


The other things were: I originally said I was going to ground crew about 2 hours before we left, but then said I was considering jumping shortly after that. By the time we left we talked about it a bit and I decided to jump.

We practiced body position, canopy control and landing techniques multiple times before the jump. I was also asked about night landing skills and I told the others I was fine, I had actually done my third night jump the weekend before.

I think when everyone recollects what happens there is a bit of an emphasis on different things. I didn't want to post a novel about it, just the events of the jump itself and some background.

The consequences were: 8-9 hour rescue.

legally: $1100 restitution bill, and provided I pay it on time the trespassing charge is dropped.

Blue Skies

I don't really see the need for it. I stand by my original statement... I have no interest in jumping again.

It's all done with as far as I'm concerned.

Blue Skies

i concur.

i also concur, I was posting to show a point.

added: so unless anyone wants to explain it all to 570, this is finished.