Feature Writer Romeo Edmead – A Fantastic Birthday Hero
When a grandmother of 3 decided to treat herself for her 54th birthday, she celebrated by getting high; that is, high in the sky of course. Shirley Dygert of Teague, Texas, took a tandem jump from an airplane with instructor Dave Hartsock that turned out to be everything but a celebration. They made the jump from an altitude of 13,000 feet, and trouble began when both their primary and secondary parachutes failed to open properly. As they plunged 40 mph from 500 feet above the earth, Dygert said she thought, “This is how I’m going to die?” Of course she would not die or even sustain a serious injury, and that is due to the heroics of Mr. Hartsock. He changed their positioning just before they crashed to the ground, arranging their bodies so that he absorbed the impact when they landed. As a result of the accident, Mr. Hartsock sustained a great deal of injuries, causing paralysis, but remains in good spirits. In their first meeting since the accident, Mr. Hartsock had no regrets and talked about them doing it again someday. He said, “We’re accident-proof now, baby. I mean what are the odds of something like that happening twice like that?”
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/10/assignment_america/main6471254.shtml