Man injured in jump from bridge

[Craig]

From http://www.thepresstribune.com/main....ArticleID=3371

A 29-year-old man whose parachute malfunctioned in a jump Saturday night off the F......... bridge is in critical condition at Sutter Roseville Medical Center.

Avner Tshori, 29, hit an embankment about 100 feet from the 730 feet to the canyon bottom, said Mike Lynch, supervising ranger for the Auburn State Recreation Area.

Tshori is a student at the University of California at Davis and from Israel, Lynch said.

A Placer County Sheriff’s Department report said Tshori suffered multiple injuries to his legs, chest and hip.

He was carried out of the canyon on a stretcher and flown to Sutter Roseville.

A friend of Tshori was on the ground with a flashlight Saturday night for the jump, Lynch said.

The man, Mark John Tetreault, 39, of Woodland, was cited for being in the park after hours, according to the Sheriff’s Department report.

It’s illegal to jump off the bridge, but Lynch said he doesn’t anticipate charges being filed against the severely-injured Tshori.

Friends of Tshori, who were in the intensive care unit waiting room Monday at Sutter Roseville, would not speak to the Auburn Journal.

Ranger Lynch noted that the Foresthill bridge is sometimes used for jumps such as Tshori undertook, particularly with the growth of extreme sports and “people trying to outdo each other.”

“It’s an unfortunate attraction,” the ranger said.

The TV series “Jackass” included a sequence with someone jumping off the bridge from a moving truck travelling along the structure, he said.

Early in the movie “XXX,” the character played by actor Vin Diesel is shown jumping off the F......... bridge from a car that falls to the canyon bottom after the successful jump.

The bridge was built with the Auburn Dam expected to bring waters in the river canyon bottom that would have been less than 140 feet from the bridge, Lynch said.

It’s about 220 feet from the Golden Gate Bridge to the bay waters below, he added.

[Tree]

Anybody know this guy? Jump experience or history? Was it a mal or just a f-up?

[imported_Tom Aiello]

I know him. I'd guess at this point he has several hundred jumps. No mal. An ultra low pull that happened a fraction of a second too late. This really sucks.

AV is a super nice guy. One of those people who is always trying something just a little bit "interesting." He is apparently in fairly good spirits, all things considered. I wish him all the best, and as full a recovery as medically possible.

--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com

[jake330]

this is a slightly more accurate report:
http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/s...-8628362c.html

BASE jumper injured in Placer
The Israeli man's parachute did not open fully during his plunge from the Foresthill Bridge.
By Kim Minugh -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 a.m. PST Wednesday, October 29, 2003
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A BASE jumper remained in critical condition Tuesday after his parachute failed to fully deploy as he plunged more than 600 feet from the Foresthill Bridge on Saturday night.
Avner Tshori, 29, of Israel was being treated at Sutter Roseville Medical Center for injuries to his legs, chest and hips, according to a Placer County Sheriff's Department report.

BASE jumping is a sport that involves jumping with a parachute from launch points such as buildings, antennas, spans/bridges, and earth/cliffs.
Tshori's parachute only partially opened before he landed on a rocky embankment about 100 feet above the American River near Auburn, said Lt. Karl Fulenwider.

It is unclear whether the parachute was defective or there wasn't enough time for it to open properly, Fulenwider said.

Mark John Tetreault, 39, of Woodland was waiting for Tshori to jump and called for help shortly after 10 p.m. when the accident occurred, Fulenwider said.

Tetreault, who had not jumped, was cited by a Department of Parks and Recreation ranger for being in the state park after hours.

Tshori, who is certified with the United States Parachuting Association, served as an occasional instructor with Davis-based SkyDance SkyDiving, said company President Ray Ferrell.

Although SkyDance SkyDiving has no affiliation with BASE jumping, Ferrell said it was a hobby for Tshori.

"I do know he was an experienced BASE jumper and has done so for a number of years," he said.

Ferrell said Tshori is in the United States on a short-term visa and was planning to return to Israel soon.

Recreational jumps off the 730-foot Foresthill Bridge are illegal and can result in fines, Fulenwider said.

"We don't believe it's safe, and that's why there's a code against it," he said.

Jumping off the bridge is particularly dangerous because its height can be deceiving, Fulenwider noted.

"It seems like a long way down, but ... it's not very far off the ground when you're doing something like that."

[jake330]

AV is one of my best friends, and as Tom said, a very nice guy. Regardless of his number of jumps, he was naturally very skilled as a BASE jumper. Things just did not go his way on this one. It truly does suck to an immesureable degree.

-Jake