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Central California Skydiver Survives 8,000 Foot Fall After Chute Fails

By Shelley Ng, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Credit: Los Angeles Times

A skydiver floats back down to Earth.

March 18, 2013 Updated Mar 18, 2013 at 11:55 AM PDT

A California man is lucky to be alive and walk away with only minor injuries after his parachute failed and he hit the ground at 30 miles per hour following a 8,000-foot jump.

Craig Stapleton, 51, of Lodi is a 25-year veteran skydiver with over 7,000 jumps under his belt. He and dive partner Katie Hanson were attempting to do a "down plane flag" - a complicated trick that requires two skydivers to link up mid-air and unfurl a flag between them. When they land, the flag stands straight up on a piece of lanyard.

Stapleton and Hanson had successfully completed the stunt before and the jump on Sunday, March 10 was supposed to be routine.

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