Pregnant Skydiver Survives Face-First Fall

[spurs=bling]

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. - Shayna Richardson was making her first solo skydiving jump when she had trouble with her parachutes and, while falling at about 50 mph, hit face first in a parking lot.

Although badly hurt, she survived — and doctors treating her injuries discovered she was pregnant. Four surgeries and two months later, Richardson said she and the fetus are doing fine.

"Just this last week we went and saw the doctor and we've got arms, we've got legs. We've got a full face. The baby is moving around just fine. The heart rate looks good. So not only did God save me but he spared this baby," she said.

Richardson, 21, of Joplin, Mo., was skydiving in Siloam Springs on Oct. 9 when her main parachute failed.

"I heard a snap and I started spinning and I didn't know why. I didn't know what to do to fix it. I didn't know how to make it stop," Richardson told Fort Smith, Ark., television station KFSM.

She cut away her primary chute so her reserve could deploy, but it didn't open all the way. She spun out of control, heading straight for the asphalt below.

"At the end I said, 'I'm going to die. I'm going to hit the ground. I'm going to die,'" she said. "I don't remember it. I don't remember hitting the ground. I don't remember the impact or anything that came with it."

Rescuers got her to a hospital in Fayetteville, where Richardson underwent surgery. She broke her pelvis in two places, broke her leg, lost six teeth and now has 15 steel plates.

"I went into the first surgery where they cut me from ear to ear and they cut my face down and they took out all the fractured egg-shelled bones and put in steel plates," Richardson said.

During treatment, doctors found that Richardson was pregnant, which was a surprise to her. She said she would not have jumped had she known.

"To hit the ground belly first — that's dangerous. I mean at any stage of pregnancy that's dangerous. That's not something you want to do let alone at 50 miles per hour," Richardson said.

Her fall was videotaped and Richardson said she was able to watch it, without qualms.

"I wanted to watch it," said Richardson. "And the whole reason I'm comfortable with watching it because I know how it ends."

Richardson said her due date is June 25. She plans to make her next parachute jump in August.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051213/ap_on_re_us/skydiver_s_plunge

she is one lucky girl.

[SpursWoman]

I think slamming into the ground face-first at 50 mph would be a pretty good indication that that was not in God's plans for me, and would refrain from any future attempts.


:wow :lol

[katyon6th]

I went skydiving for my 21st and ended up vomiting in my (then)boyfriend's car afterwards. Damn, it was great.

[ShoogarBear]

I've gone skydiving a few times. The last time I went the chute of the guy behind me didn't fully deploy, and his reserve got tangled up with the main. He came down right on his coccyx pretty fast and ended up spending a couple of days in the hospital, but was okay.

[Ishta]

noway in hell will you find me on a plane let alone jumping out of one :lol

[2Blonde]

After she gives birth to that baby she may change her mind about jumping again. Being responsible for another person's life is a little harder than being young and carefree and saying FU to the world by jumping out of planes anytime you damn well please.

[katyon6th]

After she gives birth to that baby she may change her mind about jumping again. Being responsible for another person's life is a little harder than being young and carefree and saying FU to the world by jumping out of planes anytime you damn well please.

"During treatment, doctors found that Richardson was pregnant, which was a surprise to her. She said she would not have jumped had she known."

[2Blonde]

"During treatment, doctors found that Richardson was pregnant, which was a surprise to her. She said she would not have jumped had she known."
I saw that part. I was responding to the part where she said she would jump again right after the baby was born.

[midgetonadonkey]

I'm surprised the baby didn't fly out when she hit the ground.

[spurs=bling]

I'm surprised the baby didn't fly out when she hit the ground.
:lol

thats wrong funny but wrong

how is your mom midge?

[midgetonadonkey]

Finally out of the hospital so now she just has to wait until they heal.

[spurs=bling]

Finally out of the hospital so now she just has to wait until they heal.


well i hope she feels better soon.

[Marklar MM]

SKYDIVERS ARE FUCKING CRAZY. Have fun.

[Samr]

A parachute is a last-resort ONLY. At no point would I want to rely on my safety devise for sport. That's like getting in a car crash for the fun of smashing into the air bag.

[MaNuMaNiAc]

That's like getting in a car crash for the fun of smashing into the air bag.
hey don't knock it 'till you've tried it! http://spurstalk.com/forums/images/smilies/smilol.gif

[Beerjitsu]

Man I'm planning on going skydiving for my birthday in a couple of months (never done it before but I've always wanted to), I don't wanna read stories like this... :cuss

Actually the woman in question was on one of the local morning shows today, caught it right before I went out for a job interview. There's some noticable facial damage, but nothing horrible. To hit ASPHALT at fifty miles an hour and not only survive but not lose your baby? This has got to be the luckiest human being on the planet.

[Zombie]

Inbreeding makes strong babies! :lol
Hell, Ask Mouse! :smokin

[Vashner]

Sp L A T...

[Bandit2981]

there was a video of the actual fall, anyone know where to see it?

[pache100]

there was a video of the actual fall, anyone know where to see it?


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=11&u=/ap/20051213/ap_on_re_us/skydiver_s_plunge

[sa_butta]

.

[ShoogarBear]

Man I'm planning on going skydiving for my birthday in a couple of months (never done it before but I've always wanted to),

It's a blast. It's also mentally the single hardest thing I've ever done. It's also expensive.

Are you doing a tandem jump (strapped to somebody else) or solo?

[travis2]

If he's never done it before, it will be tandem. You are required to make a certain number of tandem jumps before you're allowed to go solo. And I don't think you can meet the requirement in one day.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I saw her interviewed on the news last night. She was a cutie before the accident, but that fall really messed her up. Poor thing! I can't believe she wants to do that again!

[Beerjitsu]

It's a blast. It's also mentally the single hardest thing I've ever done. It's also expensive.

Are you doing a tandem jump (strapped to somebody else) or solo?

Tandem, assuming I can screw up enough nerve to do it. Skydive San Marcos seems pretty reasonable...$169 for a jump according to their website, with a DVD of the jump for an extra 89 bucks.

To be honest, I'm just afraid I'll get up to altitude, get strapped in...and then choke :oops Hell, bunjee jumping scared the hell out of me the first time I did it.

[ShoogarBear]

If he's never done it before, it will be tandem. You are required to make a certain number of tandem jumps before you're allowed to go solo. And I don't think you can meet the requirement in one day.

Not true, unless they've changed things from 15 years ago.

We had two options: (a) start with solo jumps from low altitude, and work your way up. I think it took about 15 jumps to qualify this way. (b) start with tandem jumps from 10K-15K feet. I think it only took ~5 jumps this way. Option (a) was much cheaper per jump, but obviously took a lot longer and was more expensive in terms of total $ to qualify.

I did option a) because I didn't have much money, but my first day we were doing solos. They were only from about 3000 feet, so there was very little freefall and no maneuvers. It was jump out of the plane and pull the cord. I can't remember if we had to do one static line jump first or not.

I already had five previous static line jumps from Airborne school, but the others in the class were all first-timers.

[cherylsteele]

I don't like jumping out of bed, let alone a plane.

[Carie]

I don't like jumping out of bed, let alone a plane.
:lol

I have absolutely no problems with heights. None. Zero. Zilch. So when a bungee jump stand opened up outside of Lubbock I was more than ready to do it. And I figured I wanted to do it right the first time so I was attached by the ankles so I'd jump face down first. Yeah, when I got up there (it was only 8-10 stories high) and stood on that ledge I froze. I just new I was going to get caught in the cords and snap my neck. I'd still be up there today if the guy up there didn't count down from 3 for me. After my feet left the platform it was awesome!

That being said, sky diving is on my list of things to do. But I want my first jump to be somewhere with a beautiful view. I'm thinking by the Grand Canyon next trip to Las Vegas.