Man with 30 Years of Skydiving Experience and Thousands of Jumps Avoids Death in a Close Call After Parachute Malfunction

Skydiving is a mortal fear for many. The fear of heights is a by-product of evolution through millennia. Still, the chase for adrenaline leads brave men to pursue incredibly dangerous feats of courage. All of these acts, solely in the service of thrill-seeking activities, have been revised, refined, and perfected over decades to ensure that they are as safe to execute as possible.

However, that doesn’t mean they can’t ever go wrong. In fact, the small possibility of misfortune is the very element that brings about the adrenaline that thrill-seekers chase. A botched execution could have well led to a fatal accident in the case of Peter Vos had luck not shined favorably over the veteran skydiver.

Vos’ Stroke of Fortune

Vos, who has over 2,400 dives under his belt, is what many would consider an expert. So it was no surprise that he approached this particular dive with the same jovial spirit and happy-go-lucky attitude as he had done so many times before. The seasoned diver was on his way to deliver the game ball for the University of Victoria’s annual Thunderfest soccer tournament when the mishap occurred.

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As he set out on his dive, things went smoothly. He jumped off and reached for his parachute, as he had done before on countless occasions. However, much to his dismay, he realized that the parachute was not in the right position. “I attempted to clear the line twists and realized that they weren’t getting better,” he said. He finally accepted that it was time to reach for his reserve parachute.

Fortunately for Vos, the second parachute opened as expected and landed him right in the center of the soccer pitch. While it was undoubtedly a close call, Vos’ years of experience and composure came in handy, helping him execute his mission to deliver the ball smoothly.

Where Did Vos’ Parachute Go?

While Vos and his wife, Susan Ko, are glad the landing was smooth, they still face one problem. The couple is, as of now, unable to locate the parachute. Ko asked for help in locating the first parachute, which had malfunctioned, asking anyone with any leads to contact the UVIC campus security.

“It landed in Gordon Head, somewhere north of the stadium. So if anybody does find it that would be great because it’s of value,” said Ko. While the loss of their parachute is definitely a problem, the couple is definitely happy that things turned out in their favor. Vos, who should hopefully be able to locate his parachute, will be back falling from the skies as usual.

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