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Seeing a man fall off a cliff
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I hung out with the local rock climbing crowd this afternoon.
We were in a forest in Huntingdon County Pennsylvania. Here there is a vertical rock formation 50-70 feet high with plenty of overhangs and nice cracks to grab a hold on. After about 2 hours of climbing, two forty-something firemen joined us on the rock.
After an additional two hours, one of the firemen somehow manages to detach himself from his safety rope and takes a 30 foot plunge off the rock face. He falls backwards off of the rock face, manages to keep one of his hands on the rope, but doesn't get a real grip and plunges downward. After the first ten feet he is falling side down and horizontal in the air. He then strafes a ledge, does barrel roll in mid-air, strafes another ledge and falls flat on his back amidst pointy rocks and boulders.
I am standing less than 15 feet from where he lands.
I freeze on the spot. That dude has got to be dead.
about 5 people rush in to check on him.
Amazingly, the guy raises his arm, grips the jagged boulder he missed by 3 inches and tries to sit up.
People urge him to lie still. They ask him his name, urge him to be calm and not move etc, etc.
His fireman buddy comes racing down from the top of the rock formation cussing at the top of his longs, visibly horrified.
We check his head
- it is fine
We check his back
- No fractures, cuts or bruises.
We check his limbs.
- Nothing, except a scraped ankle.
He seems to be in excellent health, except for a bruised angle and a very bruised ego (he basically unclipped himself from his rope).
He then stands up, shakes his arms and legs, brushes down his clothes and packs his gear. His buddy calls their fire department, and asks that the paramedic on watch prepare to give him a thorough look-over. They thank us for our help, and take off.
Never in my life have I witnessed such magnificient luck. when he hit, I was expecting his brains to be scattered all over some rock.
his overconfidence in his own experience almost killed him today.
I think I am going to come of this experience with something.
I just don't know what, at this point.
Life is glorious
-m
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