In July 2003, Kellie and I went skydiving together in Central Ohio. It was a first time adventure for both of us, and the thrill was, in a word, incredible. That’s why this story hits a little close to home.
STERLING, Ohio (AP) — A first-time skydiver slipped from her harness during a jump Saturday and fell to her death, authorities said.
Ellen Ann McWilliams, 44, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was participating in a tandem jump, her first with the AerOhio Skydiving school near Sterling, about 40 miles south of Cleveland, according to the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
During tandem jumps, a novice skydiver is harnessed to the chest of an experienced jumper. When the parachute is deployed, the experienced skydiver guides the team to the ground.
The name of the company we went skydiving with ? AerOhio Skydiving. The risks of skydiving were made exceedingly clear to us before we ever left the ground that day. And the tandem guides that we had took every step possible to ensure our safety. That said, I can’t imagine what Saturday was like either for the woman who died, or for the tandem guide who was responsible for her safety.
