# That video of the botched skydiving incident... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656 "2005-10-31T01:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/1 "2005-10-31T01:39:38Z")
Back in the late 80’s, when personal vidcams were first coming into vogue, I remember seeing some footage (on a ntaional TV show) by a guy who had made a skydiving jump, and supposedly had forgotten his parachute. The movement of the camera as he realizes what he’s done was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen. So, Halloween is here, and all. I’m just wondering if anyone else remembers this video. Was it genuine? Is there any internet resource to obtain it? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/2 "2005-10-31T02:54:49Z")
So the bloke plummeted to his death and yet the video camera was unharmed? It seems rather hard to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/3 "2005-10-31T02:56:59Z")
…Or was the footage shot by another skydiver jumping with him? Adam ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/4 "2005-10-31T02:58:11Z")
…and it’s cool to watch someone die a horrible and terrifying death? Hopefully the video is fake. ---
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/5 "2005-10-31T03:03:26Z")
> [@Agent Foxtrot](#): > > …Or was the footage shot by another skydiver jumping with him? The vidcam was apparently held by the man himself. Really scary to see. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/6 "2005-10-31T03:04:38Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > …and it’s cool to watch someone die a horrible and terrifying death? Hopefully the video is fake. Evidentally, you’ve never heard of the _[Faces of Death](http://www.facesofdeath.com/)_ series. AFAIK, all the featured clips are real. ---
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/7 "2005-10-31T03:04:56Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > So the bloke plummeted to his death and yet the video camera was unharmed? It seems rather hard to believe. While a human body would certainly die from such a height, the vid inside a vidcam might very well survive. ---
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/8 "2005-10-31T03:06:27Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > …and it’s cool to watch someone die a horrible and terrifying death? Hopefully the video is fake. I didn’t say anything about “cool.” Just really damned scary. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/9 "2005-10-31T03:28:30Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Evidentally, you’ve never heard of the _[Faces of Death](http://www.facesofdeath.com/)_ series. AFAIK, all the featured clips are real. [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/snuff.htm) disagrees: “…liberally peppered with outright fakes scenes. Most of the actual death scenes shown in these films are of the post-death variety. The multiple camera angles give away the acted-out nature of many of the most compelling scenes.” ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/10 "2005-10-31T03:58:42Z")
[Here](http://tafkac.org/movies/faces_of_death_review.html) is a scene by scene review of the first Faces of Death film. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/11 "2005-10-31T04:16:18Z")
I would say ‘sick’ rather than ‘scary.’ If it were real it’s basically like a snuff film. Minus sex. Still messed up. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/12 "2005-10-31T04:28:22Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > If it were real it’s basically like a snuff film. Minus sex. Still messed up. The Snopes link above has the definition of “snuff film” as: “Snuff films depict the killing of a human being – a human sacrifice (without the aid of special effects or other trickery) perpetuated for the medium of film and circulated amongst a jaded few for the purpose of entertainment.” In other words, if the film ran out, they’d stop the action to load more film before proceeding with the killing, and sex is not a required portion. So though tragic, this would not be a snuff film if it does exist. ---
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/13 "2005-10-31T04:47:19Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I would say ‘sick’ rather than ‘scary.’ > > If it were real it’s basically like a snuff film. Minus sex. Still messed up. I didn’t even know what a snuff film was until you introduced the term, thankfully elucidated by Ferret Herder. You previously stated that “hopefully it’s a fake.” If it were a fake, then that, I think, would be sick. If that’s what you’re hoping for, it’s beyond me. Anyway, I’d still like to know, one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-video-of-the-botched-skydiving-incident/328656/14 "2005-10-31T04:50:10Z")
> [@Ferret Herder](#): > > The Snopes link above has the definition of “snuff film” as: “Snuff films depict the killing of a human being – a human sacrifice (without the aid of special effects or other trickery) perpetuated for the medium of film and circulated amongst a jaded few for the purpose of entertainment.” In other words, if the film ran out, they’d stop the action to load more film before proceeding with the killing, and sex is not a required portion. So though tragic, this would not be a snuff film if it does exist. Yeah, I realized that after I posted. I just remembered an episode of CSI I think it was, in which they came across what could have been a snuff film, or actually was. I forgot, but I think there was something about sex too. And I used this: 1 entry found for snuff film. snuff film n. Slang A movie in a purported genre of explicit pornography culminating in the actual violent death of a participant in a sex act. > **[Dictionary.com Is The World’s Favorite Online Dictionary](https://www.dictionary.com)** > > Dictionary.com is the world’s leading online source for English definitions, pronunciations, word origins, idioms, Word of the Day, and more.