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Highest falls survived without a parachute

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This article attempts to list of the highest falls survived without a parachute. Some heights are difficult to verify due to lack of documentation and are approximated.

List

[edit]

The following is a list of individuals who survived a fall equal to 100 feet (30.48 metres) or greater, without use of a parachute.

Some heights are difficult to verify due to lack of documentation and are approximated.

Name Image Distance of fall Date Notes and References
Feet Meters
Vesna Vulović 33,330 10,160[1] 1972 Flight attendant from Serbia who was the sole survivor of an airplane bombing mid-air. Likely landed in part of fuselage in heavily wooded and snow-covered mountainside. Suffered many bone fractures.[1][2][3]
Luke Aikins 25,000[4] 7,620 2016 On July 30, 2016, Aikins jumped from an aircraft without any parachute or wingsuit at an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,620 m) above Simi Valley, California, watched by a live audience. After about two minutes of free fall he successfully landed in a 100-by-100-foot (30 by 30 m) net
Ivan Chisov 23,000 7,000[1] 1942 Soviet Air Force lieutenant who was shot down by Germans during World War II, and skid down a ravine when his parachute failed to open. Suffered severe spinal injuries.[5][1]
Alan Magee 22,000 6,700[1] 1943 American airman who was shot down by Germans and crashed through the glass roof of the St. Nazaire railroad station. Suffered several broken bones, severe damage to his nose and eye, lung and kidney damage, and a nearly severed right arm[1][6]
Nicholas Alkemade 18,000 5,500[1] 1944 British Royal Air Force rear gunner survived a fall with only some bruising and a twisted knee. Landed in deep snow drift in a pine forest near Berlin.[1]
Larisa Savitskaya 17,130 5,220 1981 Sole survivor of Aeroflot Flight 811 who was in an aircraft fragment after the mid-air collision, which landed in a swampy glade.[7][8]
Bear Grylls 16,000[9][10][11] 4,870 1996 British soldier in Kenya whose parachute failed to deploy during special air service military training in Zambia[12] or Zimbabwe[13]. He landed on his pack and broke his back in several places. A wikipedia user claimed: “Bear Grylls chute did deploy but had a rip. Did not fall at terminal velocity. Incorrect inclusion”. There is no proof of this claim that Grylls' parachute had a rip, rather than not inflate, as all sources attached state that his parachute failed to inflate rather than rip. Until a source is provided, this is unverifiable.
Christine McKenzie 11,000 3,400 2004 South African skydiver who hit power lines and fractured pelvic bone.[14]
Juliane Koepcke 10,000 3,200[1] 1971 Sole survivor of the LANSA Flight 508 plane crash, landed in seat and suffered broken collarbone and other injuries; hiked for 11 days through Peruvian rainforest to safety.[1]
James Boole 6,000 1,800 2009 British skydiver who landed in snow in Russia. Broke back and rib, but was walking within a week.[1]
Victoria Cilliers 4,000 1,219 2015 Survived a murder attempt[15]
Ryōyū Kobayashi 954 291[16][17] 2024 This is the unofficial world record for the longest ski jump (hosted by Red Bull), 291m[18]. The event occurred on April the 24th[19].
Ryōyū Kobayashi 925 282[20] 2024 This is the unofficial former world record for the longest ski jump (hosted by Red Bull), 282m[21]. This event occurred on April the 24th.
Ryōyū Kobayashi 849 259[22] 2024 This is the unofficial former world record for the longest ski jump (hosted by Red Bull), 259m[23]. This event occurred on April the 23rd.
Ryōyū Kobayashi 839 256[24] 2024 This is the unofficial former world record for the longest ski jump (hosted by Red Bull), 256m[25]. This event occurred on April the 24th.
Danny Yamashiro 300[26] 90 1985 On December 22, 1985, whilst attempting to rescue his stranded girlfriend from a 20-foot (6.1-meter) in height fall that occured from mountaing climbing, Yamashiro slipped and fell head first 300 feet (90 meters) and later another 100 feet (30 meters). The second fall took place during a rescue effort and was captured on film. It aired on newscasts throughout Hawaii. He suffered severe head injuries, skull fractures, multiple tears in his scalp, a shattered ankle, damaged organs, extensive lacerations, and became comatose.
Joshua Hanson 200[27] 60 2007 This accident occurred in January 2007 as Hanson ran from an elevator, losing his balance and falling through a window from the 17th floor to the ground landing on his feet, he suffered internal bleeding and had several broken bones.
Tim Stilwell 15th Floor[28](~150) ~45 2013 Locked out of his apartment in June 2013, decided the best course of actions was to attempt to hang and fall onto his neighbour's balcony. Slipped from the 15th floor. (~150 feetassuming each floor is 10 ft.) and landed on the roof of a building at ground level. Some suggest the roof broke his fall, medical experts state he was very lucky to have survived the fall. His injuries were; broken bones, internal bruising. However Stilman was expected to make a full recovery.
Yuan Huangtou 108[29][30][31] 33 c. 559 Huangtou was a prisoner, who was set on an experiment conducted by Gao Yang with a few other prisoners to be executed via launching themselves gliding off of the 108-foot tall Phoenix Tower in Ye, capital of Northern Qi. Huangtou was the only individual to survive, gliding over the city wall, landing at Zimo, the western segment of Ye. He was handed to Bi Yiyun who executed him via starvation later.
Danny Yamashiro 100[32] 30 1985 On December 22, 1985, whilst attempting to rescue his stranded girlfriend from a 20-foot (6.1-meter) in height fall that occured from mountaing climbing, Yamashiro slipped and fell head first 300 feet (90 meters) and later another 100 feet (30 meters). The second fall took place during a rescue effort and was captured on film. It aired on newscasts throughout Hawaii. He suffered severe head injuries, skull fractures, multiple tears in his scalp, a shattered ankle, damaged organs, extensive lacerations, and became comatose.
Davide Capello 100 30[33] 2018 One of the survivors of Ponte Morandi bridge collapse, which occurred on 14 August 2018; Capello's car fell 30 metres (100 feet), however he managed to walk away unscathed.
Mclloyd Francis Chidzalo[34] 1994 Sole survivor of a Malawi Army helicopter crash in the central region of Malawi.[citation needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Five survivors of spectacular falls", Jon Kelly, BBC News Magazine, published 17 June 2013
  2. ^ Sandomir, Richard (28 December 2016). "Vesna Vulovic, Flight Attendant Who Survived Jetliner Blast, Dies at 66". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  3. ^ "Vesna Vulovic, air stewardess who survived a plane crash – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 3 January 2017. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  4. ^ "US skydiver jumps without parachute into net from 25,000ft". BBC News. 2016-07-31. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  5. ^ "Nicholas Alkemade | Aviation Historian". 24 December 2014. Archived from the original on 2019-07-22.
  6. ^ "The story of the World War II gunner who fell 22,000 feet without a parachute and lived". Business Insider.
  7. ^ "Лариса САВИЦКАЯ: "Для меня уже вырыли могилу"". Известия (in Russian). 2002-07-29. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  8. ^ Cuesta, Javier G. (2021-11-03). "Larisa Savitskaya: The sole survivor of an air disaster the USSR wanted to cover up". EL PAÍS English Edition. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  9. ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/bear-grylls-still-agony-27-30160300#
  10. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22934269
  11. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22934269
  12. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22934269
  13. ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/bear-grylls-still-agony-27-30160300#
  14. ^ "'Miracle' escape for SA skydiver". 24 August 2004.
  15. ^ Kleeman, Jenny (14 Jul 2018). "'He has the traits of a psychopath': the inside story of the parachute murder plot". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2024.
  16. ^ https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=WqBMLPvCljLeWx82&v=ngddfxog-yw&feature=youtu.be
  17. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  18. ^ https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/ryoyu-kobayashi-how-he-broke-the-world-record
  19. ^ https://www.redbull.com/ca-en/ryoyu-kobayashi-how-he-broke-the-world-record
  20. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  21. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  22. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  23. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  24. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  25. ^ https://www.rtvslo.si/sport/zimski-sporti/kobajasi-dobil-krila-pristal-pri-291-metrih/706147
  26. ^ "Danny Yamashiro Receives Standing Ovation at Harvard Commencement for 'Falling 400 Feet' » NRB Christian Communicators Impacting The World". nrb.org. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  27. ^ https://www.ranker.com/list/people-who-fell-and-survived/nathan-gibson
  28. ^ https://www.ranker.com/list/people-who-fell-and-survived/nathan-gibson
  29. ^ Needham, Joseph; Ronan, Colin A. (1978). The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: 4. Cambridge University Press. pp. 285–. ISBN 978-0-521-32995-8.
  30. ^ 世哲从弟黄头，使与诸囚自金凰台各乘纸鸱以飞，黄头独能至紫陌乃坠，仍付御史狱，毕义云饿杀之。(Rendering: Yuan Shizhe and his younger brother Yuan Huangtou with a few prisoners each launch themselves from Tower of the Golden Phoenix [in Ye, capital of the Northern Qi]. Yuan Huangtou was the only one who survived from this flight, as he glided over the city-wall and fell at Zimo [western segment of Ye] safely, but he was handed to Bi Yiyun and sentenced to death by starvation.). History of Northern Dynasties under 19.
  31. ^ （永定三年）使元黄头与诸囚自金凤台各乘纸鸱以飞，黄头独能至紫陌乃堕，仍付御史中丞毕义云饿杀之。(Rendering: [In the 3rd year of Yongding, 559], Gao Yang conducted an experiment by having Yuan Huangtou and a few prisoners each launch themselves from Tower of the Golden Phoenix [in Ye, capital of the Northern Qi]. Yuan Huangtou was the only one who survived from this flight, as he glided over the city-wall and fell at Zimo [western segment of Ye] safely, but he was handed to Bi Yiyun and sentenced to death by starvation.). Zizhi Tongjian under 167.
  32. ^ "Danny Yamashiro Receives Standing Ovation at Harvard Commencement for 'Falling 400 Feet' » NRB Christian Communicators Impacting The World". nrb.org. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  33. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20180814233011/https://www.afp.com/en/news/207/former-cagliari-keeper-survives-apocalyse-genoa-bridge-collapse-doc-18d4ap3
  34. ^ https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00028321/03056 - Google results give a preview for this page as "Col. Mclloyd Chidzalo. Malawi is one of the few coun- tries in the region whose army has remained exclusively male, 35 years after ...", yet I am unable to find Chidzalo in the newspaper.
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