This story is just making the news now, perhaps because someone sent the fundraiser info to the UK papers who picked it up, but it made me cry. Not jsut that he saved the life of the grandmother whom he was jumping with but his attitude afterwards-i can't find a US news link yet. We use the word "hero" all the time, but this is one who really deserves it. Selflessness and deliberately putting himself in a position he will likely die rather than the other person
David was the experienced skydiver who was jumping in tandem with first time jumper Shirley Dygart, a 54 year old grandmother. For the rest of the story read below:
At first the jump seemed like any other, but when Hartsock pulled the cord, the chute didn't open properly and just flapped about. If you watched the Bush senior jumps, when an experienced skydiver is jumping in tandem with an inexperienced one, they are on top to control the cords and ropes etc. It is one thing for a person to react in an emergency without knowing the consequences but David Hartsock was experienced and knew it would likely end with his own death. That did not stop him though:
When both the main and reserve shoots failed, Mr Hartsock made the brave decision to position himself underneath Mrs Dygert to try to protect her during the fall.
'Her life was in my hands,' he said. 'I couldn't have lived with myself if anything had happened to her. It was my job to protect her. I did what I had to do, the only thing to do.'
Link I find it poignant to look at the picture of them in the plane, smiling, minutes before their jump. More to the story there.
met up last month at the hospital, she has recovered well, while he has a wonderful spirit and attitude. Even joked with her about skydiving again, saying they are accident proof now.
He tried to release the useless chute but the cord was trapped between their bodies. His only option was to pull the emergency chute but with the useless chute still there it got tangled up in it and also became useless.
Mr Hartsock was left with no choice but to open the reserve chute without releasing the first one. The chute instantly tangled and they continued to plunge, spinning horizontally to the ground.
Knowing they would hit it with back-breaking force, Mr Hartsock made the heroic decision that saved Mrs Dygert's life, but cost him dearly.
He pulled the cords of the pack down to position himself underneath Shirley so his body would break her fall.'My back hit the ground first and I felt pain rushing through my whole body,' he said. 'I asked Shirley if she was OK and after she replied I must have blacked out.'
Mr Hartsock had a shattered spine and Mrs Dygert had snapped several vertebrae in her neck.
After an operation and a week in intensive care Shirley was released but Dave was left paralysed from the neck down.
The after care costs for him are enormous of course, like they are for any person paralyzed from the neck down and insurance wont' cover them all. If you feel inclined to help out, here is the link to do so: www.giveforward.org/hartsock/