The Man Who Forgot His Parachute - Ivan Lester McGuire

Ivan Lester McGuire Skydiving Accident - Forgotten ParachuteShow more

In early April 1988, in LouisBerg North Carolina, 35 year old veteran sky diver Ivan lester McGuire plummeted to his death while sky diving at the at the Franklin County Sports Parachute Center.
Having previously completed over 800 jumps from an aeroplane, he was going for his third jump for the day. The videotape showed the divers making preparations around the plane's door; then the camera went out with McGuire. He launched himself from the plane at an altitude of 10500 feet apparently with no problem. With the camera aimed up toward the plane, the tape then shows the instructor and the student jump and freefall somewhat above McGuire. The jump appeared to be proceeding normally until the instructor and student opened their parachutes and receded rapidly from view as McGuire hurtled below them.

After capturing the event on camera, he then gets ready to deploy his own parachute and reaches for the ripcord, as you see his left hand come into camera view, but suddenly realises to his horror, that he left it behind.

Descending rapidly at 150 miles per hour, he screams frantically Oh no, Oh my God no, ″Then the pictures get to moving real fast and the only thing the camera shows is the ground coming.″ This will be the last footage he ever recorded before it cuts outs.
McGuire's body was later found in woods about 11/2 miles from the airfield. Footage of the final stage of the plunge was destroyed on impact and what tape remained had to be spliced in places,
It is thought McGuire could have forgotten to put his parachute on because of fatigue and his preoccupation of the heavy video equipment.
An investigation into his death showed the pilot thought McGuire was wearing a parachute with both thinking the video equipment was the parachute because of its of bulky mass and weight where the parachute normally is.
The death was recorded as an accident