...I think we all knew this was bound to happen eventually. He survived..amazingly. I've enjoyed his videos in the past..but what he does is very unforgiving of any mistake or miscalculation.
Pretty good video of it on ABC news site (you have to endure the 30 second ad first though..):
I remember seeing an older news story on Jeb Corliss in 2009 it sounds like he has had a deathwish since his teens:
I personally enjoy seeing these amazing wingsuit videos, but I think he is just going to keep pushing the envelope until he dies and it's only a matter of time, he knows people die doing this and already lost a friend, as is shown in that story.
seems like he hit the legs, by the feet or calves ? lucky him, at that speed had he hit the torso area, instant death. Well instant becouse he would loose consciouness and fall flat.
Yeah..my wife and I watched that story about him back in 09 and were amazed. He is a very likeable guy.. But physics doesn't play favorites..
Yeah agreed, seems like a nice guy and you can really tell he enjoys what he does from his euphoria at the end of his "Grinding the Crack" video which is great to see.
I kind of look at it as the guy is happy and doing what he loves and as long as he doesn't hurt innocent people or endanger rescuers unnecessarily (all his jumps these days look well coordinated like Evil Knievel) then we can continue to live vicariously through his videos, and just keep hoping he beats physics and the odds over the long term as unlikely as it seems, and if he doesn't then he goes out doing what he loves and will be a good darwin example to those who follow in his footsteps.
I have been reading "Wager with the Wind: The Don Sheldon Story" recently (great book) and I wonder if guys like Jeb Corliss are the 1950's bush pilots and mountain climbers of our day, these days when climbing Everest can be done as a part of a vacation package.
I remember seeing Jeb Corliss on Discovery a few years ago, he skydived from one aircraft and into another. They had to fit a Cessna (don't remember if it was a 206, 182 or what) with a drag chute, varying its size to match the speed at which Corliss free-fell, and he actually made it, the crazy git!
In all my years I've never seen the like. It has to be more than a hundred sea miles and he brings us up on his tail. That's seamanship, Mr. Pullings. My God, that's seamanship!
