What to do if....

[guest]

Hi there fellow P.C. chuckers. My friends and I were prepping for an "S" the night before last and over dinner we got into a deep conversation about the darker side of our sport. This was fueled mostly by the thread about Death and responsibility. We debated for a while about what to do if the unthinkable should happen. We realised this is something we never considered up until now. I convinced the guys that it was because we figured, deep inside at least, that "it" would never happen to us. But the possibility is a real one. I understand that more clearly now. Needless to say, we were a little hushed on the bridge that night. So my question now is; what do you do if someone on your load goes in? I know it is a morbid topic, but how many of us have planned for this possibility before we leave the exit point? Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you Brothers and Sisters.---Dex

[guest]

I think it depends on the load.

A while back, Nick posted a comment about "the pact" that started me thinking along these lines. I can't seem to find it in the archives, but here's what I came up with.

I'd recommend discussing this with your jumping partners before it happens. I think this is especially important on high bust or high consequence jumps (i.e. big walls in a well known National Park).

Usually, the plan I've come up with is this. One guy on the load is designated as the "rescuer." His job is to stay with an injured (or deceased) buddy and try to provide (or summon) help. Everyone else's job is to clear the gear (their own, the rescuer's and the victim's, if possible) out of the area, and then get lost.

Obviously, this begs the question--what if the rescuer is the victim? So, we need to designate a backup rescuer, who will stay with the primary rescuer if he goes down.

Figuring out who will stay is a good subject for discussion before the jump, not at the object. Considerations include who has medical training, who has a criminal record, and who has the most to lose (generally the guy who owns his own construction company volunteers to stay well before the guy with 19 years of military service).

If you can't come to a consensus with your friends, then factor that into your judgment to jump (or not).

Truth be told, though, if you're injured on a load with me, I'm damn well staying, and they can come and arrest me. But, I have the great advantage of having nothing to lose.

Obviously, this is a great deal simpler with only you and one partner, or you and ground crew.

As usual, a bit of advance planning and discussion can save a lot of pain and suffering.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@ucdavis.edu

P.S. Sorry for my gender specific pronouns--I don't mean to imply that one of the ladies is less likely to stay and help. I just learned my grammar in the old school, when it was considered correct to use the masculine pronoun in the general sense, and no one was politically correct.

[guest]

At least close my eyes if you're gonna kick dirt over my body...

[flummi]

i tell jumpers on a load with me (or my groundcrew) the following:

in case of accident:
if i am being conscious, and if you can talk to me, i will tell you what to do AFTER the accident. to the groundcrew (if i land somewhere else, e.g. groundcrew is on a bridge, i land on shore): if you see me move, wait until radio contact. i will then tell you what to do. if no radio contact within 5 minutes, call rescue.

if i am being unconscious (or do not move), and i obviously do need help, call the rescue FIRST. and the police. and the helicopter. and whatever else is necessary. THEN deal with my gear. and get out of there.

again: RESCUE FIRST. gear second.

if the person with me is a fellow jumper, and i am injured, i EXPECT him to get the hell out of there. it is bad enough if they arrest me and there is no need for someone else to get in trouble (especially not for my mistake/accident). rather leave my gear and not get caught than rescue my gear and get in trouble.

groundcrew can sometimes play innocent bystander, but if the site does not allow that, "get out of there" also applies.

my take on accidents: i can always make the money to buy another rig and pay the fines. what money cannot replace is if the rescue comes late. and late is case of accidents might be in the range of minutes...

should i die: take the rig FIRST, then leave, then call the cops and tell them where to find me.

knock on wood.
flummi

[guest]

What about the part where you hand your friend the cell phone just before exit and say;

"Now remember, just press 9-1-1, then 'talk'." ?

[guest]

Nothing wrong with a complete pre-jump briefing, but that one is probably for the motel while packing rather than at the exit point under the noisy roadway.

In many, if not all, jurisdictions, it is a crime to disturb a body without good reason. Cops take their crime scenes and yellow tape very seriously. If I am dead, go away and inform the authorities and my family without putting yourself in legal peril.

If hurt,just let me bleed quietly onto the F-111 while you get me some goddamn pain relief and a fast, smooth ride to the hospital. Riggers repair webbing and fabric really well and I would surely pay more than the cost of a repair bill to speed up some morphine after hearing the big *snap*.

By the way, absent the evidence of the rig itself, it is not too hard for a cop (usually at least high school graduates) to figure out that you got hurt by being dropped from a great height. "The bears kicked my ass" is probably not going to fly.

Be comfortable stepping back and stay within yourself and your skill set; you will never need to refer to the above.