CHEATS DEATH TWICE IN AIR

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16534, 29 December 1927, Page 9

CHEATS DEATH TWICE IN AIR

PARACHUTE JUMPER’S FALL SAN DIEGO, Cal., Nov. 17. Ralph Douglas, pioneer parachute jumper, twice cheated death in a dramatic but unsuccessful attempt to bring to San Diego the world’s parachute dropping record, 4200 ft., now held by Sergt. Bowes of the United States Army Air Corps. Douglas leaped from an. airplane, piloted by J- L. O’Donnell, at an altitude of 10,000 ft., intending to drop at least a mile before opening his Russell Lobe parachute. As he loaped from the wing of'tlie plane, ho made two complete somcrsoults and then went into a terrific spin, his head to tho ground. “I fought frantically to Cheek my fall by using my hands as flippers, hoping that something would happen so that I would fall right side up,”.

said Douglas. “The more , I fought;, the faster I fell, and, after dropping head down for more than 1800 ft., I thought that, if I was going to save my life, it was time to act. “I spilled the ’chute, but, in rolling over, after jumping from the plane, and in tho subsequent headspin, the j lines evidently had become entangled. | “When the’chute opened, my fall ' was so fast that it nearly pulled tho ! 'chute inside "’out. The cord caught me across the neck, leaving great welts, and, when 1 was yanked right side up, my right foot felt as if it -was broken, but fortuiiately nothing of tho sort occurred.” Douglas landed in tho centre of the main harbor channel,, in the deepest section of tho bay. ‘He was in tho water less than 20 before A being rescued by a water taxi.