The strange thing is that, according to Omar’s link, the incident happened in April, 1988; yet, according to ** Schuyler**'s link, they knew all about it in 1987. They could have warned the guy ahead of time.
I do.
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I actually have footage of this. I can’t find it anywhere on the internet. My mom used to record the news all the time so we had a ton of news on vhs from the 80s and 90s that I put on dvd. anyway the guy is falling filming another guy and the other guy opens his chute and you see the photographers guys arm fly out and you can almost just feel him being like oh crap! then it cuts out.
When the internet was new (circa 1992) I remember people talking about this video.
I could say that I remember seeing it, but I would probably be recalling a false memory.
It would be interesting if someone could dig it up.
Yes, I’ve seen it too, but for some reason it’s not on YouTube anymore. However, I did discover this clip, which isn’t quite the same. 
ETA: Do zombies go skydiving?
zombie or no
did he get a medal?
Cliff Judkins. 15000 ft. Survived.
That’s true today, but was it true in 1988? Didn’t they use “rip cords” earlier?
I heard that the new style as you describe is used because it’s more reliable and simpler.
Wow, that’s an incredible tale of misfortune and bad luck! Thanks for sharing that.
I parachuted once in about 1983. It was a static line, meaning the pilot chute was tethered to the plane and opened automatically. But the backup plan, if that didn’t open, was in fact a ripcord back then.
Cite from The Houston Chronicle. Not an urban myth at all.
This is what happens when you get so used to parachuting that you get complaisant. Also the para centre sounds at fault for not insisting everyone does a proper gear check on each other before boarding.
And to seal the deal here’s the story from The Weekly World News, 03 May 1988, courtesy of Google Books.
Top headline, a few pages back, “Cookie Monster Murder Suspect Hid 7 Victims in his Bedroom, Say Cops: Courtroom Testimony Claims Strangler Slept with Muppet Doll”.
Yes, but they don’t bother with parachutes.