By Brendan Dolan
Philadelphia, PA- A hooded thief robbed two young adults at gunpoint in front of a discount store this past Saturday. Brian Pritcher, 19, from New York, and Ashley Worrling, 18, a Philadelphia resident, were walking from a local pizzeria on their way back to Temple University for an ongoing party. Suddenly they were stopped by a hooded robber with a revolver and demand they give him cash.
“He was asking for directions, but I had told him that I could not help,” said Brian. “He had then told us to turn around, and that’s when we saw the gun.” The robber was demanding money. The victims gave him what they could scrounge for. “I only had two hundred dollars in my pocket at the time; I was not sure what to do, I just gave him the money,” Brian recalled.. Luckily the girl, Ashley, was not harmed during this ordeal, he added.
The suspect quickly fled. Brian and Ashley then ran back to the campus and called the police. While stating what happened at the scene, the local discount store owner, where the robbery occurred, had witnessed the entire incident. Unfortunately, there were no other witnesses. Neither victim was able to give a clear description of the suspect, but noticed he was wearing a black puffy jacket with a hood over his head and a scarf or neck warmer covering his mouth. He was last heading south on Sixteenth Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue. The suspect has not yet been reported again and no other descriptions of him have been reported.
Q- Can you describe the robbery, what exactly happened?
A- I was with this girl, Ashley, at the time. On our way back to a party, a man wearing a black hoodie had asked me if I knew how to get somewhere. I had told him that I was not from this city and that I could not be able to help him. He had then told us to stop. We looked at him and noticed he had a gun pointed right at us. Ashley and I were terrified. He demanded we give him money and that he would not harm us if we did. I had made sure Ashley was standing behind me. I did not have my wallet on me at the time, but I was carrying two hundred dollars in my pocket. Distraught by what was happening, I had quickly given him the money. Thankfully he had run off and did not ask for anything else. Ashley and myself than ran back to the campus to the party.
Q- Did you get a good description of the suspect?
A- Unfortunately no. He had his hood over his head and I think a scarf covering his mouth.
Q- Was there anyone around to witness it or call 911?
A- There was a cashier in the store we were in front of when the robbery occurred. He said he called the police during the ordeal.
Q- Did you call the police as well?
A- I called them on my phone after we got back to the campus. I didn’t call right after just in case the robber had noticed and were to come back.
Q- Why did you decide to leave the party?
A- Well I was with Ashley most of the night, she said she wanted to go for a walk and look for a quiet place to talk for a while. So I went with her and took her to get some pizza.
Q- Did the police manage to find him?
A- As of right now I don’t think so. Like I said I didn’t get a good look at the guy and neither did the cashier.
Q- Why did you come down to Philadelphia? You mentioned you are not from here.
A- Myself and my two friends, Mike and Jason, were invited down by a friend of ours to Temple University for a party to start off the new semester. We had driven down from New York City, where we are from.
Q- Is your friend Ashley okay?
A- She’s okay now yeah. She was pretty shaken up when it had happened and directly after. But she is back to normal now, which is good; the more you move on, the less you forget.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Lucky to Be Alive
By Michele Beach
When I asked Christopher Bucco how he felt after an unforgettable moment in his life, he responded slowly, “After what happened, I felt very lucky to still be alive. This event kind of made me look at life differently. I know I got a second chance.”
What happened to Christopher Bucco two days after September 11, 2001 was a personal tragedy that has now turned into a lucky incident in his eyes. It was a nice, autumn day and Chris and his brothers had off from school because the 9/11 attacks. The ice cream truck came down Chris’s street and like any child, the boys wanted a treat. Although Chris’s thoughts told him not to get something because he remembers his mom was bringing home lunch, but Chris decided to go get a candy for him and his older brother.
“I remember I wanted a lollipop and he wanted a ring pop,” Chris said, smiling as he reminisced. What started out as an innocence day off, quickly took a turn for the worst.
While walking back across the street, ten-year-old Christopher was hit by a Fed Ex van that was speeding down his private road. The ice cream truck had stopped in front of a double parked car and did not have a stop sign out.
“I couldn’t see too far into the street and I didn’t know what was coming,” he recalled. Chris flew about fifteen feet into the air and suffered multiple bruises and other injuries including three skull fractures, “I almost choked on my blood, but my neighbor was able to turn me over and help me.” The impact resulted in four days in the hospital for treatment of Christopher’s injuries and a month off from school.
Looking back, Christopher Bucco now considers himself a lucky man.
“Well, I’m alive!” he said. Celebrating life isn’t the only thing that this now twenty-year-old college student has to be happy about. After the accident, his parents and family lawyer filed a lawsuit against Fed Ex. The lawsuit ended in Christopher’s favor; his four years at St. Thomas Aquinas College are paid for in full, as well as a stipend of $2,200 a month when he turns 25 years old. In addition to this sum, at the age of 35 years old he will be receiving over $120,000. “So all in all, I consider myself lucky after what happened.”
Call it good luck or bad luck, what happened to Christopher Bucco is most certainly unforgettable.
When I asked Christopher Bucco how he felt after an unforgettable moment in his life, he responded slowly, “After what happened, I felt very lucky to still be alive. This event kind of made me look at life differently. I know I got a second chance.”
What happened to Christopher Bucco two days after September 11, 2001 was a personal tragedy that has now turned into a lucky incident in his eyes. It was a nice, autumn day and Chris and his brothers had off from school because the 9/11 attacks. The ice cream truck came down Chris’s street and like any child, the boys wanted a treat. Although Chris’s thoughts told him not to get something because he remembers his mom was bringing home lunch, but Chris decided to go get a candy for him and his older brother.
“I remember I wanted a lollipop and he wanted a ring pop,” Chris said, smiling as he reminisced. What started out as an innocence day off, quickly took a turn for the worst.
While walking back across the street, ten-year-old Christopher was hit by a Fed Ex van that was speeding down his private road. The ice cream truck had stopped in front of a double parked car and did not have a stop sign out.
“I couldn’t see too far into the street and I didn’t know what was coming,” he recalled. Chris flew about fifteen feet into the air and suffered multiple bruises and other injuries including three skull fractures, “I almost choked on my blood, but my neighbor was able to turn me over and help me.” The impact resulted in four days in the hospital for treatment of Christopher’s injuries and a month off from school.
Looking back, Christopher Bucco now considers himself a lucky man.
“Well, I’m alive!” he said. Celebrating life isn’t the only thing that this now twenty-year-old college student has to be happy about. After the accident, his parents and family lawyer filed a lawsuit against Fed Ex. The lawsuit ended in Christopher’s favor; his four years at St. Thomas Aquinas College are paid for in full, as well as a stipend of $2,200 a month when he turns 25 years old. In addition to this sum, at the age of 35 years old he will be receiving over $120,000. “So all in all, I consider myself lucky after what happened.”
Call it good luck or bad luck, what happened to Christopher Bucco is most certainly unforgettable.
The Most Dangerous Race
By Cassie Michelotti
“Everyone line up--don’t go until we say so!”
Jordan Lytton-Smith led the way through the crowd; this was her first year attending “The Broadway Bomb,” an annual longboard race straight down Broadway in New York City. “I’ve never skated 8 miles in my entire life,” she said, turning to her friend Jess. Her heart was racing, but the time for nerves and self-doubt was over.
“GO!”
Over 1,000 longboarders took off at a sprint from Riverside Park up 116th Street towards Broadway at noon on Saturday, October 8. Once on Broadway it was too crowded to even put your board down; some attempted, but most took off running or got caught in the traffic jam. Jordan and Jess were caught in the jam, but jumped on their boards as soon as there was an open piece of pavement.
When 1,000 longboarders try to start skating on one road all at the same time, there are bound to be accidents. Some chose to hop the divider and skate against traffic. On the other side, people were stepping on each other’s boards and wheels, running into each other, and running each other over.
Jordan was watching people go down left and right. The next moment changed everything.
“He was swerving in and out of everyone and cut off the person in front of me. When the person in front of me flew, I just remember skidding on the cement. I bounced up and found my board a while behind me,” said Jordan.
Jess saw the whole thing; she skated over to see the extent of Jordan’s injuries.“My hand and elbow were bleeding. It didn’t hurt much, just tingling. But the race was a lot more important than some scratches,” said Jordan.
Adrenaline took over; she was still only on her first mile. People were lined up on the sidewalks watching as hundreds of skaters passed by; many questioned the racers. “Are you protesting? Is this part of Occupy Wall Street? Why are you doing this?” Other cheered and gave the racers high fives as they passed by.
“I was high fiving people with the bloody hand,” Jordan recalled. Later she would come to find that she had broken her wrist and would have to spend the next six months in a cast. But she was caught up in the moment, and unwilling to leave a friendly stranger hanging.
The race stopped traffic as skaters blew through red lights, some hitting unlucky pedestrians, or slamming into cars, buses, or taxis. “I saw a racer hit the side of a car, their board got caught under the back wheel and snapped,” said Jordan.
She passed Central Park, went through Times Square dodging pedestrians, and avoided the police and barricades when passing the actual Occupy Wall Street protestors at Zuccotti Park. She finally arrived at the Wall Street Bull statue, the official ending point of the race.
Jordan and Jess went into the nearby pharmacy to tend to Jordan’s wounds. But she considers herself lucky. A few scratches and a broken wrist are minor injuries in New York City’s most dangerous push race.
“Everyone line up--don’t go until we say so!”
Jordan Lytton-Smith led the way through the crowd; this was her first year attending “The Broadway Bomb,” an annual longboard race straight down Broadway in New York City. “I’ve never skated 8 miles in my entire life,” she said, turning to her friend Jess. Her heart was racing, but the time for nerves and self-doubt was over.
“GO!”
Over 1,000 longboarders took off at a sprint from Riverside Park up 116th Street towards Broadway at noon on Saturday, October 8. Once on Broadway it was too crowded to even put your board down; some attempted, but most took off running or got caught in the traffic jam. Jordan and Jess were caught in the jam, but jumped on their boards as soon as there was an open piece of pavement.
When 1,000 longboarders try to start skating on one road all at the same time, there are bound to be accidents. Some chose to hop the divider and skate against traffic. On the other side, people were stepping on each other’s boards and wheels, running into each other, and running each other over.
Jordan was watching people go down left and right. The next moment changed everything.
“He was swerving in and out of everyone and cut off the person in front of me. When the person in front of me flew, I just remember skidding on the cement. I bounced up and found my board a while behind me,” said Jordan.
Jess saw the whole thing; she skated over to see the extent of Jordan’s injuries.“My hand and elbow were bleeding. It didn’t hurt much, just tingling. But the race was a lot more important than some scratches,” said Jordan.
Adrenaline took over; she was still only on her first mile. People were lined up on the sidewalks watching as hundreds of skaters passed by; many questioned the racers. “Are you protesting? Is this part of Occupy Wall Street? Why are you doing this?” Other cheered and gave the racers high fives as they passed by.
“I was high fiving people with the bloody hand,” Jordan recalled. Later she would come to find that she had broken her wrist and would have to spend the next six months in a cast. But she was caught up in the moment, and unwilling to leave a friendly stranger hanging.
The race stopped traffic as skaters blew through red lights, some hitting unlucky pedestrians, or slamming into cars, buses, or taxis. “I saw a racer hit the side of a car, their board got caught under the back wheel and snapped,” said Jordan.
She passed Central Park, went through Times Square dodging pedestrians, and avoided the police and barricades when passing the actual Occupy Wall Street protestors at Zuccotti Park. She finally arrived at the Wall Street Bull statue, the official ending point of the race.
Jordan and Jess went into the nearby pharmacy to tend to Jordan’s wounds. But she considers herself lucky. A few scratches and a broken wrist are minor injuries in New York City’s most dangerous push race.
When You Lose Everything
By Dominique Scarinci
Megan Williams is just 19 years old and has gone through some life-changing experiences living in New York City at a young age.
Q: How long have you been living in New York City?
A: I have been living in the city for nineteen years.
Q: Do you live with family or do you live on your own?
A: I live with my family. My brother was living with us but he moved out ten years ago. Once my brother left, it was just me and my mom. My father recently moved in with us this past year.
Q: What was it like to witness your brother move out at a young age of nine years old?
A: It was difficult because I never knew where his current location was. He did not have a permanent residence until many years later. My mom was always worried about him, but she felt like she was teaching him a lesson by kicking him out.
Q: Did this make you dislike your mother for a period of time?
A: Yes, because she allowed my brother to leave. I missed having him around the house to watch after. After he left, I was alone and never picked up and played a video game again. That was our bonding time together.
Q: What building do you live in?
A: I currently live in Co-op City in the Bronx, NY. I used to live in New York City Public Housing.
Q: Why do you no longer reside in New York City Public Housing?
A: My mother was falsely accused of not paying rent, when in fact she did. She went to court several times and they continued to dismiss her case. But it was not until the moving people came and knocked down our door and said that we were being evicted that it felt real.
Q: At what age did you go through this experience?
A: 18, just about a year ago.
Q: How did it feel going through something this outrageous?
A: It was difficult because my mom had a city job; she was not collecting money from the government. She has a good job and to see this happen to her, it made me upset. I’ve seen my mother work hard for so many years to give me a roof over my head and to see it taken away in a blink of an eye was a traumatic experience for me.
Q: What was the aftermath of this event?
A: The court put a stop to the eviction, which was good but bad at the same time. My mom and I were able to go back to our apartment but had to unpack what movers had packed already and deal with our property being stolen by the movers. My mother wanted to move out as quickly as possible and that is why I now live in Co-op City.
Megan Williams is just 19 years old and has gone through some life-changing experiences living in New York City at a young age.
Q: How long have you been living in New York City?
A: I have been living in the city for nineteen years.
Q: Do you live with family or do you live on your own?
A: I live with my family. My brother was living with us but he moved out ten years ago. Once my brother left, it was just me and my mom. My father recently moved in with us this past year.
Q: What was it like to witness your brother move out at a young age of nine years old?
A: It was difficult because I never knew where his current location was. He did not have a permanent residence until many years later. My mom was always worried about him, but she felt like she was teaching him a lesson by kicking him out.
Q: Did this make you dislike your mother for a period of time?
A: Yes, because she allowed my brother to leave. I missed having him around the house to watch after. After he left, I was alone and never picked up and played a video game again. That was our bonding time together.
Q: What building do you live in?
A: I currently live in Co-op City in the Bronx, NY. I used to live in New York City Public Housing.
Q: Why do you no longer reside in New York City Public Housing?
A: My mother was falsely accused of not paying rent, when in fact she did. She went to court several times and they continued to dismiss her case. But it was not until the moving people came and knocked down our door and said that we were being evicted that it felt real.
Q: At what age did you go through this experience?
A: 18, just about a year ago.
Q: How did it feel going through something this outrageous?
A: It was difficult because my mom had a city job; she was not collecting money from the government. She has a good job and to see this happen to her, it made me upset. I’ve seen my mother work hard for so many years to give me a roof over my head and to see it taken away in a blink of an eye was a traumatic experience for me.
Q: What was the aftermath of this event?
A: The court put a stop to the eviction, which was good but bad at the same time. My mom and I were able to go back to our apartment but had to unpack what movers had packed already and deal with our property being stolen by the movers. My mother wanted to move out as quickly as possible and that is why I now live in Co-op City.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Family Shocker
By Mary Hackett
It’s strange how everything can change in someone’s life in the blink of an eye. Tara Whelan’s life played that role in August 2011. Tara’s summer was occupied with being in Ireland for a whole month with fun-filled parties, new experiences, and being independent, flying there and back by herself. When she returned home in the great mood she was in after her relaxing vacation, she received some news that rocked her world.
Tara was informed that her father, Bill Whelan, a forty-five-year-old outgoing family man, was diagnosed with leukemia.
“ I just couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. I’m still worried for his recovery, and shocked by the situation,” said Tara. She added how healthy and involved her father was and how especially close she was with her father. Tara's the oldest of five, with the youngest girl being 6.
“Even though I am only 20 now, it is the shock of my lifetime so far and the most frightening thing I am still trying to accept and get through. I am the oldest child and the closest to my dad. I felt as though I was losing my best friend and although I am still scared, I have to continue being strong.”
Tara realized how “extremely weird and scary life can truly be.” When this devastating news hit, she just couldn’t believe this was happening to her and her family because everything was just going great.
However, after all the doctor’s appointments in the next few months, after the depressing August diagnosis and the chemo treatment, Bill received news of where he stood in the cancer stages. Bill was declared to be in the chronic stage, which was a little above the acute stage. With all the prayers, hope and faith everyone had, he was found to be on the less risky side of cancer. Of the two sides of cancer, the worse one to have would be the acute stage. The other is treatable, which is the stage he was diagnosed with.
Over the past two months, the chemo has kicked in and the white blood cell count is decreasing slowly but surely. Tara noted that this kind of news “turned her world upside down.”
Being that the medication to fight cancer is ridiculously expensive, Tara had to take on many more responsibilities and her personal money expenses into her own hands and adjust to the major change. This bad news was a very horrific event for Tara and her family that has taken a big toll in her life, but she couldn’t do anything but be positive and strong. Bill Whelan, from a small friendly town in Emerson New Jersey, is still trying to beat this cancer and he looks better then he has. Of course he still has his days, Tara said, but he refuses to give up.
It’s strange how everything can change in someone’s life in the blink of an eye. Tara Whelan’s life played that role in August 2011. Tara’s summer was occupied with being in Ireland for a whole month with fun-filled parties, new experiences, and being independent, flying there and back by herself. When she returned home in the great mood she was in after her relaxing vacation, she received some news that rocked her world.
Tara was informed that her father, Bill Whelan, a forty-five-year-old outgoing family man, was diagnosed with leukemia.
“ I just couldn’t believe it when I heard the news. I’m still worried for his recovery, and shocked by the situation,” said Tara. She added how healthy and involved her father was and how especially close she was with her father. Tara's the oldest of five, with the youngest girl being 6.
“Even though I am only 20 now, it is the shock of my lifetime so far and the most frightening thing I am still trying to accept and get through. I am the oldest child and the closest to my dad. I felt as though I was losing my best friend and although I am still scared, I have to continue being strong.”
Tara realized how “extremely weird and scary life can truly be.” When this devastating news hit, she just couldn’t believe this was happening to her and her family because everything was just going great.
However, after all the doctor’s appointments in the next few months, after the depressing August diagnosis and the chemo treatment, Bill received news of where he stood in the cancer stages. Bill was declared to be in the chronic stage, which was a little above the acute stage. With all the prayers, hope and faith everyone had, he was found to be on the less risky side of cancer. Of the two sides of cancer, the worse one to have would be the acute stage. The other is treatable, which is the stage he was diagnosed with.
Over the past two months, the chemo has kicked in and the white blood cell count is decreasing slowly but surely. Tara noted that this kind of news “turned her world upside down.”
Being that the medication to fight cancer is ridiculously expensive, Tara had to take on many more responsibilities and her personal money expenses into her own hands and adjust to the major change. This bad news was a very horrific event for Tara and her family that has taken a big toll in her life, but she couldn’t do anything but be positive and strong. Bill Whelan, from a small friendly town in Emerson New Jersey, is still trying to beat this cancer and he looks better then he has. Of course he still has his days, Tara said, but he refuses to give up.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
The Calm Before the Storm
By William Gilmartin
It was such a sunny day, blue skies with flat calm water; how could this beautiful day suddenly turn into such a nightmare?
It was Labor Day weekend 1973, when Stacey McDonough of Glen Rock, New Jersey and three friends took her 16’ foot Cobia motorboat for a 45-minute trip to Kismet on Fire Island, an easy and familiar trip. The foursome was meeting McDonough’s parents, where they would have dinner and celebrate her 18th birthday at the Kismet Inn.
Once out in the open waters of the Great South Bay, they saw dark ominous clouds coming in from the west, but figured they would be safely docked at the Kismet harbor before the clouds would reach them. Stacey and her boyfriend, both experienced sailors, misjudged, and half way to Fire Island they were hit with ferocious winds and driving rain. The 16’ Cobia bounced about the bay on top of waves of frothy white foam. The situation was out of control, but sink or swim, they had reached the point of no return.
“We figured we were somewhat safe because we were going into the wind and the thing about sailing is you always want to take the wind and waves head on,” said Stacey, who has been sailing since the age of 12. “We were close to the ferry lane and thought we could follow the ferries in. Little did we know, they shut down the ferry service,” she added. They hoped to get to dinner without taking on too much water, but there was no chance of that happening.
“Remember, we are dressed to go to dinner," she said. "Now all four of us are drenched and very cold.”
Unfortunately, Stacey’s luck was about to go from bad to worse because they needed to head south towards Kismet, which means the waves were now hitting them broadside, violently rocking the boat side to side.
“I go flying from the port side of the board to starboard, and if I didn’t have long hair at the time I would’ve fallen out of the boat into the water, because my boyfriend [who was driving] grabbed me by the hair and kept me in the boat.”
Stacey got lucky because now it was so dark they couldn’t see a thing. “Even with our running lights on, we couldn’t see anything except waves, so we had to reduce our speed and watch out for – and hope for – land!” Finally, 2 hours later, at 6 o’clock they arrived at Kismet, wet, cold, and exhausted.
What a way to celebrate a young woman’s 18th birthday, in soggy, seawater-soaked cloths. While it wasn’t the birthday Stacey was expecting that year, she did learn that she wasn’t invincible and walked away with a much greater respect for the water. Stacey still loves water sports and goes sailing and boating with her family every year. This goes to show that even if a single event scares you, it should not prevent you from doing what you love to do.
It was such a sunny day, blue skies with flat calm water; how could this beautiful day suddenly turn into such a nightmare?
It was Labor Day weekend 1973, when Stacey McDonough of Glen Rock, New Jersey and three friends took her 16’ foot Cobia motorboat for a 45-minute trip to Kismet on Fire Island, an easy and familiar trip. The foursome was meeting McDonough’s parents, where they would have dinner and celebrate her 18th birthday at the Kismet Inn.
Once out in the open waters of the Great South Bay, they saw dark ominous clouds coming in from the west, but figured they would be safely docked at the Kismet harbor before the clouds would reach them. Stacey and her boyfriend, both experienced sailors, misjudged, and half way to Fire Island they were hit with ferocious winds and driving rain. The 16’ Cobia bounced about the bay on top of waves of frothy white foam. The situation was out of control, but sink or swim, they had reached the point of no return.
“We figured we were somewhat safe because we were going into the wind and the thing about sailing is you always want to take the wind and waves head on,” said Stacey, who has been sailing since the age of 12. “We were close to the ferry lane and thought we could follow the ferries in. Little did we know, they shut down the ferry service,” she added. They hoped to get to dinner without taking on too much water, but there was no chance of that happening.
“Remember, we are dressed to go to dinner," she said. "Now all four of us are drenched and very cold.”
Unfortunately, Stacey’s luck was about to go from bad to worse because they needed to head south towards Kismet, which means the waves were now hitting them broadside, violently rocking the boat side to side.
“I go flying from the port side of the board to starboard, and if I didn’t have long hair at the time I would’ve fallen out of the boat into the water, because my boyfriend [who was driving] grabbed me by the hair and kept me in the boat.”
Stacey got lucky because now it was so dark they couldn’t see a thing. “Even with our running lights on, we couldn’t see anything except waves, so we had to reduce our speed and watch out for – and hope for – land!” Finally, 2 hours later, at 6 o’clock they arrived at Kismet, wet, cold, and exhausted.
What a way to celebrate a young woman’s 18th birthday, in soggy, seawater-soaked cloths. While it wasn’t the birthday Stacey was expecting that year, she did learn that she wasn’t invincible and walked away with a much greater respect for the water. Stacey still loves water sports and goes sailing and boating with her family every year. This goes to show that even if a single event scares you, it should not prevent you from doing what you love to do.
Ryan Weaver’s 10,000-Foot Drop
By Ashley Walter
It was a pleasantly warm Saturday morning in June of 2009 at the Sussex Skydiving School in Sussex County, NJ, Ryan Weaver recalls as he sips on his Red Bull energy drink. The Red Bull seems ironically symbolic for this thrill seeker.
“I always wanted to go skydiving, because I figure if I could overcome this fear and adrenaline rush, I could pretty much overcome anything,” Ryan said with a sort of memorable cloud fogging over his eyes.
The drive down to Sussex seemed to take forever with the suspense beginning to build in both Ryan and his brother Michael and two cousins George and Christie. Ryan said that when they arrived they had to watch a video and a quick tutorial before going up in the plane. They also had to sign many waivers.
“It was quite comical signing my name 15 plus times and initialing my life away practically. There was even huge, bold, red print that said, 'Jumping may end in death.' ” Yet, the nerves didn’t set in for Ryan until they were forced to wait two hours for clouds to clear. You can’t skydive until there’s clear skies.
The wait was finally over and into the plane they went. The fear still hadn’t come over Ryan while the plane ascended. When the door of the plane opened and he had to step out onto the wing is when the wave of fear washed over Ryan’s body.
“When I looked down and realized how far up I was, is when I said to myself, ‘O my God what was I thinking?’ When I had to step out onto the wing, I remember being so scared not to fall… which made no sense since that is exactly what I would be doing in a matter of seconds.” Ryan was strapped tandem to the professional skydiver. This is when the professional is harnessed behind you, jumps with you, and tells you when to pull the parachute. Ryan said, “My heart felt like it stopped beating, my lungs were frozen with suspense, and I couldn’t even get out a scream when I realized the pro jumped without me really truly ready too.”
Ryan said that the first four seconds of falling, you feel as if you’re flying because you are still moving at the same speed of the plane, falling slightly sideways. After that, it feels like a continuous roller coaster drop. When you are far enough from the plane, you sprawl out opening up your arms and legs. The pro tells you when to pull the chord for the parachute, when you are a certain distance from the ground.
The pro has a safety parachute; Ryan had a safety parachute and the initial parachute. “I felt pretty safe. I mean if all three didn’t open up--than God’s got other plans for yah.” Ryan got to control the parachute with the two handles and could steer where he wanted to go and even do a few flips. When you come close to the ground you hike your legs up on a 90-degree angle and can land on your butt. Ryan chose to land on his feet and run, which can be quite tricky with the speed and the weight you're coming down with. “My brother tried to run in, and fell flat on his face!” Ryan said, chuckling.
The second Ryan hit the ground, he wanted to do it all over again. His adrenaline was so high his hands were shaking and his heart was beating out of his chest. He free fell for about 30 seconds and the rest took about 4 minutes gliding with the parachute.
“I have a video to remember this extreme first time experience, which I look for every excuse possible to show off to family and friends,” Ryan exclaimed.
It was a pleasantly warm Saturday morning in June of 2009 at the Sussex Skydiving School in Sussex County, NJ, Ryan Weaver recalls as he sips on his Red Bull energy drink. The Red Bull seems ironically symbolic for this thrill seeker.
“I always wanted to go skydiving, because I figure if I could overcome this fear and adrenaline rush, I could pretty much overcome anything,” Ryan said with a sort of memorable cloud fogging over his eyes.
The drive down to Sussex seemed to take forever with the suspense beginning to build in both Ryan and his brother Michael and two cousins George and Christie. Ryan said that when they arrived they had to watch a video and a quick tutorial before going up in the plane. They also had to sign many waivers.
“It was quite comical signing my name 15 plus times and initialing my life away practically. There was even huge, bold, red print that said, 'Jumping may end in death.' ” Yet, the nerves didn’t set in for Ryan until they were forced to wait two hours for clouds to clear. You can’t skydive until there’s clear skies.
The wait was finally over and into the plane they went. The fear still hadn’t come over Ryan while the plane ascended. When the door of the plane opened and he had to step out onto the wing is when the wave of fear washed over Ryan’s body.
“When I looked down and realized how far up I was, is when I said to myself, ‘O my God what was I thinking?’ When I had to step out onto the wing, I remember being so scared not to fall… which made no sense since that is exactly what I would be doing in a matter of seconds.” Ryan was strapped tandem to the professional skydiver. This is when the professional is harnessed behind you, jumps with you, and tells you when to pull the parachute. Ryan said, “My heart felt like it stopped beating, my lungs were frozen with suspense, and I couldn’t even get out a scream when I realized the pro jumped without me really truly ready too.”
Ryan said that the first four seconds of falling, you feel as if you’re flying because you are still moving at the same speed of the plane, falling slightly sideways. After that, it feels like a continuous roller coaster drop. When you are far enough from the plane, you sprawl out opening up your arms and legs. The pro tells you when to pull the chord for the parachute, when you are a certain distance from the ground.
The pro has a safety parachute; Ryan had a safety parachute and the initial parachute. “I felt pretty safe. I mean if all three didn’t open up--than God’s got other plans for yah.” Ryan got to control the parachute with the two handles and could steer where he wanted to go and even do a few flips. When you come close to the ground you hike your legs up on a 90-degree angle and can land on your butt. Ryan chose to land on his feet and run, which can be quite tricky with the speed and the weight you're coming down with. “My brother tried to run in, and fell flat on his face!” Ryan said, chuckling.
The second Ryan hit the ground, he wanted to do it all over again. His adrenaline was so high his hands were shaking and his heart was beating out of his chest. He free fell for about 30 seconds and the rest took about 4 minutes gliding with the parachute.
“I have a video to remember this extreme first time experience, which I look for every excuse possible to show off to family and friends,” Ryan exclaimed.
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