Skydiver Falls 12,000 Feet and Survives

Not only did a skydiver fall 12 thousand feet and survive, he crash landed onto a parked van while traveling at a speed of about 40 miles per hour.

Not only did a skydiver fall 12 thousand feet and survive, he crash landed onto a parked van while travelling at a speed of about 40 miles per hour.

Ben Cornick jumped out of a plane in Fiji and in mid-air he realized the chute’s steering mechanism was defective.

He ended up with loads of cuts and bruises, a leg broken in three places, a fractured arm, and a shattered elbow.

Cornick, a UK citizen, also wound up in the middle of an insurance and healthcare nightmare.

Doctors in Fiji didn’t have the facilities to pin his leg back together, and the only way to save it from amputation was to send him to a hospital in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, Cornick’s insurance from his job as a skydiving instructor didn’t cover him on the jump as he wasn’t working when it happened, so he was required to pay for the care upfront.

His family sprang into action and within hours of getting the news was able, thanks to the Internet, to raise the 32 thousand dollars needed for his transport and initial medical expenses.

Thus far, the surgeries have reportedly been successful.