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Stunning Video: 80-Year-Old Woman Nearly Slips Completely Out of Harness During Skydive

80 Year Old Woman Almost Falls Out of Parachute | Laverne at Parachute Center

When you think of a tandem skydiving accident, this is probably your worst nightmare.

Gawker begins:

An elderly woman named Laverne says she is fulfilling a decade-long dream of skydiving at the start of a souvenir video recorded at the Parachute Center in Northern California.

But the dream devolves into a living nightmare in a hurry as the 80-year-old is pushed out of the plane by her tandem master with a loose harness that quickly comes undone, leaving the poor woman dangling thousands of feet above ground.

80 Year Old Woman Almost Falls Out of Parachute | Laverne at Parachute Center

ABC has more details:

The camera person has also jumped, so from his vantage point, we see that Laverne has evidently slipped out of her harness so that the straps are attaching her to her instructor from behind her knees. She’s also clinging to him with her arms. And her shirt has flown up, so we see part of Laverne’s torso. The instructor starts trying to pull her shirt down, which is the last thing we see before the camera cuts to the scenery thousands of feet below them.

The souvenir video from hell finishes from the ground, where we see the duo land in the distance and two employees run toward them. Laverne appears to be okay, but says something to the effect of “Let me get my clothes,” as she tugs at her blouse. The instructor seems shaken and one of the other employees is consoling him.

There were rumblings that the video was a fake, and that Laverne was actually someone wearing a mask. But ABC ccontacted the skydiving center and they said it’s real, but were’ rather tight-lipped.

“This happened a long time ago and everything worked as advertised,” Parachute Center owner Bill Dause said in a statement to ABC. “No one got hurt or injured.” When ABC called the center again, an employee said the video was a year old and left it at that. The United Parachute Association also confirmed that it was aware of the video before it went viral, saying it looked like Laverne‘s harness wasn’t adjusted properly.

You think?

Here’s the full video. If you easily get nervous, don’t click play:

Comments (67)

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  • willbedone
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 10:58am

    I bet she did not need a pacemaker after all.

    Report Post » willbedone  
    • Richalu
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 11:45am

      Three things lead to a near strike out for this brave old gal.

      1) She should have been wearing proper attire. After all, they call them ‘jumpsuits’ for a reason.
      2) Her tandem master is an idiot for forcing her out of the door, when it was obvious that she was fighting going. If a customer changes their mind, even at the last second, it’s should be policy that the two back off to the corner. The customer is ALWAYS right.
      3) Again, stupid, idiot tandem master. By diving out, OVER HER HEAD, he is the one that caused her to slip through the harness. Combined with the loose clothing, which he knew she was wearing, he pulled the harness up over her back as he dove over her.

      Any jury in any court would award her a handsome amount if she sued. And though I’m not one to condone frivolous lawsuits, this is one that would meet my approval. Anyone know if she did sue?

      Report Post » Richalu  
    • pamela kay
      Posted on May 27, 2012 at 1:00am

      I am being blocked from posting and it is not the Blaze that is doing it I get a page that says wwwthe blaze.com does not exist

      Report Post » pamela kay  
    • mtcountrygrl
      Posted on May 27, 2012 at 5:00pm

      You are right. You always wear a jumpsuit. And the tandum master should have tightened the straps tighter.

      Report Post »  
    • mtcountrygrl
      Posted on May 27, 2012 at 5:07pm

      The first time I jumped, they gave me a jumpsuit, they had me braid and tie up my long hair, instructed me to wear lace up tennis shoes, and gave lengthy instructions on how to position your arms and legs when you exited the plane. My tandum master had me sit on his lap and twice tighted the straps on the harness before we left the plane. Seems like a rickety outfit to me. PSA: Do not go to a discount skydiving place.

      Report Post »  
    • RedDawn2012
      Posted on May 28, 2012 at 9:53am

      Richalu nailed it. This jump business should be OUT of business.

      Report Post » RedDawn2012  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 10:18am

    I bet it will be another 80 years before she does that again!

    It really looked like she had changed her mind about jumping the way she was clinging to the side of the plane before she was forced out. Her instincts were right. She shouldn’t have been forced to jump.

    Report Post » Tigress1  
    • bobbiejean
      Posted on May 27, 2012 at 5:20pm

      You bet, Tigress1! She probably saw the looong drop and thought, ”No, that’s not for me.” It always
      looks like fun when you see it on TV, but up in the air, it can be a totally different experience. As another
      post reads—she probably changed her mind. And she should have been allowed to do that.

      Report Post »  
  • myway
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:49am

    80 years old? That will get that ticker fired up!

    Report Post » myway  
  • grannyrecipe
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 8:11am

    Heavens! Talk about a very good example of the word precarious.

    Report Post » grannyrecipe  
  • blkbelt7
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:21am

    where was her one piece jump suit???? when I did my tandem jump (from 13,500 ft.) the company provided a one piece jump suit….glad I had that experience, doubt I would do it again….

    Report Post »  
  • blkbelt7
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 7:17am

    why didn’t she have a one piece jump suit on???? when I did my tandem jump, every tandem jumper had a one piece jump suit that the company provided…I hope she had depends on….

    Report Post »  
    • SammyStutsfruckle
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 9:49am

      My buddy just did a jump (his first) and although they offer suits you apparently don’t have to wear them. But yeah, surprised she didn’t. I’m not a sue happy guy but had I been her yeah somebody would have paid. That’s just flagrant neglect.

      Report Post » SammyStutsfruckle  
  • cyclejerk
    Posted on May 26, 2012 at 1:00am

    Well, at least she was in the right position to crap herself.

    Report Post » cyclejerk  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 2:26am

      So, since when do you jump out of a damn plane wearing clothes you bought at Walmart……. I mean, isn’t there some type of flight suit ? Or some damn parachute pants ? She looks like she was dressed to go MALL WALKING………….WTF ?

      Report Post »  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 2:28am

      She’s Gonna make Millions, as a spokesperson for DEPENDS…….: ))

      Report Post »  
    • smokie
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 4:42am

      Detroit Paperboy,
      I wore jeans and a jacket, the only article of clothing I should have worn is gloves, so that I could steer better. The only guy in our group that didn’t wear sneakers got a line caught in the eyelets of his boots, which was kind of scary to watch him descend.

      Report Post »  
  • EL CHOQUE
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 7:49pm

    Making a tandem jump is on my bucket list but I’m worried the guy might cut me loose after I crap in my pants!! Probably could get drunk enough to do but they wouldn’t let do it drunk!

    Report Post »  
  • rmcenery
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 7:26pm

    Good grief!! NO WAY! When you decide to do stupid things you risk things

    Report Post »  
    • lcltcc
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 11:12pm

      crossing the street is a risk, this lady is a real trooper.
      Balls Balls Cried The Queen, If I Had Two I’d Be King.

      Report Post »  
    • GoodStuff
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 3:56pm

      “crossing the street is a risk”

      You have to cross the street to get where you’re going. You don’t have to jump out of an airplane.

      Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 7:05pm

    What I am wondering is whose idea this really was? A good way to get rid of granny and get her wealth.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • SAXMAN
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:40pm

    Depends undergarments commercial, for sure!!!!

    Report Post » SAXMAN  
  • abbygirl1994
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:36pm

    A comment frm the old lady at the end would have been nice!! Or did she survive.. at 80 she could have had a heart attack! Bless her heart!

    Report Post » abbygirl1994  
    • wdittgasn
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 9:07pm

      Looks like she was wearing very loose clothing, not a good idea…..Actually trusting your life to a flimsy piece of fabric does not sound like a good idea.

      Report Post » wdittgasn  
    • mauijonny
      Posted on May 26, 2012 at 4:05am

      Where was her jump suit?!? Not even a pair of goggles?!? I’d sue their a$$es.

      Report Post » mauijonny  
  • NewLife56
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:19pm

    Reminds me of my Mom, and she would have stood up and said DAMN, Lets do that again :-)

    Report Post » NewLife56  
    • gena t
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:44pm

      I tried this once, in 1970, when I was 22 years old. Have had 10 back surgeries since, need both hips replaced and the left knee replaced. A young man tried it at Ft Leavenworth the same day I did, he cracked his spinal column lengthwise. We both ended up medically retired for the Army as a result. We were not in tandem, we were jumped with modified sport chutes, with static line jumps, both of us our first and only jump.
      My friends teased me up until retirement with the remarks, over and over again, that only two things fall from the air, fools and bird ****. I hit the ground like a brick sh*t house, not like a feather like the colonel had told me I would, laid there about 20-30 minutes, unable to talk or move, guess I had the air knocked out of me. My left leg was broken – it was not one of my favorite memories of my 4 1/2 years in the army.

      Report Post »  
  • burnteye86
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:01pm

    Are they supposed to force you out even if you change your mind? It looked to me like she kept putting her hand on the side and the guy kept knocking it down.

    Report Post » burnteye86  
    • Fabienne
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 8:40pm

      I agree…she even appears to say;’hang on!‘ I wonder if she realized she wasn’t strapped properly… wow…glad she’s ok.

      Report Post »  
  • busterpuddles
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:30pm

    I‘m sure she’ll never do that again. Poor woman. No business doing stuff like that.

    Report Post » busterpuddles  
  • SgtB
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:16pm

    That is what happens when you have a person who tells the professional that their harness is on too tight because it pinches them a little bit. If you are an old lady, I can surely appreciate that you have the guts to go skydive, but please don‘t be such a ninny when they are tightening up the straps and don’t think that you’re getting it tight enough on your own. But, good job for hanging on old gal! That had to be scary no matter who you are. Except maybe for the guy who skydives holding a parachute pack instead of wearing it. That guy is insane!

    Report Post » SgtB  
  • spfoam1
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:13pm

    Wow! She’ll never forget that. What was the big lump in the back of her britches?

    Report Post »  
  • justafollower
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:05pm

    Holy cow that poor woman… but that was hilarious!

    Report Post » justafollower  
  • lisa2994
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:02pm

    Wow! I am glad this poor lady is ok… GOD must have been watching out for her. Kudos for her trying!

    Report Post » lisa2994  
  • MCDAVE
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:58pm

    Glad she is Ok….She has a great story to tell

    Report Post »  
  • nobull14
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:56pm

    I was always told never jump out of a perfectly good air craft !!!! to many things can go wrong a few years ago a friend of mine was sky diving and had a parachute malfunction he hit the ground and bounced 20 feet in the air . He did not kill him self but broke numerous bones in his body and was laid up for a year ?

    Report Post »  
  • KOCHLEFFEL
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:56pm

    Why would an old bag like that sky dive? She is lucky to come back to earth with her underwear on or she could be arrested for indecency.

    Report Post »  
    • momrules
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:17pm

      She is certainly elderly and certainly a lady as the first thing she wanted to do was adjust her clothing for modestys sake.

      And why shouldn’t she sky dive? It shows she is courageous, at least in my opinion. Maybe she knows that she has limited time to do the things that she always wanted to do but for whatever reason never got to do as a younger woman

      From the little we know about her she doesn’t appear to be a whiner either. She was probably grateful to be safe on the ground but seems to have handled a terrifying event with great aplomb.

      Old bag? No, a brave older lady with quite a story to tell her friends and family.

      But that is just my opinion.

      Report Post »  
    • We are Americans
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:37pm

      I think that Obama loosened her harness on
      purpose to avoid her potential future health
      care cost, either that or she bought stock in
      Facebook n he plans on eliminating stock holders
      one by one until the Fed takeover. Man, that guys
      everywhere.

      Report Post »  
    • silentwatcher
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 6:45pm

      because you are aged doesn’t mean you have to stop living.

      and,,,,”old bag?” my guess is you‘re in your 20’s and have no respect. grow up sonny….you’ll be that age too (if you learn some manners)

      Report Post »  
  • salvawhoray
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:56pm

    I bet she wish she hadn’t drank that prun juice that morning.

    Report Post » salvawhoray  
  • TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:52pm

    I’m sure glad Laverne made it to the LZ in alive. She wasn’t necessarily a streamer, but the outcome would have been the same. She seems to have taken it better than her so-called “instructor”. I hope she got her money back! Gotta’ give the old gal credit for having the cajones to go up. Hooah!

    Report Post » TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12  
  • Want our country back
    Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:40pm

    Skydiving is on my bucket list…..

    Report Post » Want our country back  
    • NuRelic
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 4:55pm

      It’s the last item on that list right?

      Truth is, its on my list too.

      Report Post »  
    • sweetgold
      Posted on May 25, 2012 at 5:57pm

      I have skydived but plan on doing it again. I’m too young for a “bucketlist” yet. This lady is very lucky and she is very brave to do that age her age.

      Report Post » sweetgold  
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