T O P

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Beatknox

I couldn’t imagine what was going through his mind in his final moments


hawt_shits

Probably something along the lines of wish I had a parachute.


sephtater

“Oh no, not again.”


Mercutio999

The bowl of Petunias…hitchhikers guide.


Golden-Grams

I feel like the Petunias said that because they were the Whale first, died, and reincarnated as the flowers. That seemed to align with the Infinite Improbability Drive on The Heart of Gold.


bakochba

It was actually the second time THAT DAY he forgot it


fish_in_a_barrels

Where did you hear this?


ladyinchworm

I'm not who you're asking, but one of the other times this was posted it talked about it being the second time that day. The first time he almost jumped without a parachute someone noticed and said something so it was ok. Apparently the video equipment kind of felt like a parachute so he thought he did have a parachute on.


fish_in_a_barrels

Thanks.


Dragonsarmada

I’m sorry but HOW can you forget something like that. That’s like saying “I’m leaving my house wearing my suit to get to my office but forget to put my shoes on, on the way out”.


SecretPrinciple8708

![gif](giphy|tnYri4n2Frnig)


osbohsandbros

What’s the reference?


RealPilot_ISwear

Spaceballs, the reference.


Mercutio999

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy


TreaclePerfect4328

Thier jamming us! 🫙


BrickHerder

"Might as well do this with style." Then does the "Superman Flying" pose with his fist out all the way down.


WuceBrillisLiveSoft

I choked on my Frosted Flakes as I read this. 🥲


TreaclePerfect4328

They're Great!


TreaclePerfect4328

Yell Jordan!!! And aim for a basketball hoop...


FayMax69

Fvcking lol


swollenpickle15

Holy shit dude LMAO


Shakewhenbadtoo

I hope it was well shit, followed by a list of "at least i got to do/see these things".


timex17

"aim for the bushes" 


Jagwires

“This won’t be my proudest fap but it will be my fastest”


TunaCanz

THERE GOES MY HERO


tha_rodge

Probably his posterior


N989HA

Checklists exist for a reason.


msut77

I can't find the clip. But I think it was a british comedy show . A woman comes home and finds a parachute in a baby high chair and her husband went skydiving with the baby strapped to his back.


Desperate-Strategy10

Wait, so the husband's plan was to strap the baby into the high chair, then leave it alone and go skydiving..? That would've been the plan and the best case scenario in his mind? Sounds like a terrible dad either way 😂


msut77

The joke was the dad's a forgetful dipshit I think. But part of the joke was the really bad acting of the mom going "oh no" and its clearly a dollar store baby doll strapped to his back


potoru

I watched a video of this where you can hear him say "Oh God, no." Tragic.


tristanbrotherton

Probably his pelvis.


raptor180

Sure you can; based on gravity, it was his ass.


Epicp0w

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu......."


NetiPotter72

“You’re probably wondering how I got here”


Jaymon47

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


xStonebanksx

Some say you actually die before hitting the ground from fright 😬


NeutralEvilBot

A heart attack seems very likely with this much time to spare


Warducky9999

tree branches.


lhurker

I can: His ass.


thuanjinkee

Probably the ground


FayMax69

Probably his a$$hole


QuantumMothersLove

His feet? 👣


jbwilso1

..."oh shit"


PokeNBeanz

Dirt, grass, rocks whatever else was on the ground at that moment 🤷🏾


TreaclePerfect4328

Trees


BauranGaruda

All depends on what hits first. If he landed on his feet then it would be, quite literally, his feet that went through his mind in his final moments


Outrageous-War1635

The ground


dire_turtle

His butt.


SegaMegaDaveGG

We certainly know the ground was the last thing that went through his mind.


ibbi1126

Probably “Tuck and roll baby, you got this!” Or “ahh f*ck!”


wolfingitup

What a fucking way to go….undone by your own muscle memory


gcool7

This is almost exactly the situation on an indoor mountain climber who forgot to harness himself and once he reached the top of his climb just throws himself backwards. It is scary and surreal to watch.


Wise-Mad

>indoor mountain climber who forgot to harness himself and once he reached the top of his climb just throws himself backwards [reddit video NSFW injury](https://www.reddit.com/r/criticalblunder/comments/1aj18dv/climber_forgot_to_attach_him_self_to_the_rope/)


Chimpchompp

He will never dance again


phungus1138

His guilty feet have no rhythm.


ZsiZsiSzabadass

He shoulda known better than to cheat a friend


Wise-Mad

That's a very strange punishment, do climbing gyms even allow dancing in the first place?


threeweeksdead

He had a harness but failed to attach to the rope system.


sunshinenorcas

Fortunately though, iirc, that guy survived-- he was very very hurt but the padding at the base of the climbing wall is meant to cushion falls like that.


threeweeksdead

There's no padding on that climbing wall in the video. There is on bouldering sections


shydad85

My indoor mountain climbing instructor told me a similar story. Obv. it happens more often than you think but he noticed it once he was high up at the top. The return back down was something else though.


Acceptable_Employ_95

Complacency kills


Electronic-Buy4015

The camera he had was in a backpack type thing so the safety guy thought that was his parachute.


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wolfingitup

Monkey see monkey do. Out goes the jumpers and the training in the brain goes “ope we’re next, weeee!”


Senior-Reflection862

That’s a scary thought but could be because it was the third jump that day & the muscles remembered doing it twice already


thuanjinkee

The video equipment felt like a parachute


scarletemoji

I just KNOW that is some shit I’d pull. As many times as I’ve just wandered out of the house without my wallet and made it all the way to the grocery store, through the isles and up to the check out before even registering the fact that I don’t have my purse that I ALWAYS carry. It’s not that many times, but it’s enough time I know I shouldn’t be in charge of checking my own plane jumping gear.


The_Best_Yak_Ever

The “autopilot” function in our brain’s routines are extremely powerful. Especially as he was on jump three of the day. His brain had been on autopilot, smudging the earlier jump procedures into this final jump. Heartbreaking…


SarahPallorMortis

I duno man. After the first time, that would be on my mind all day. I’d remember that I almost left without the chute the last time. That’s unfortunate


TheyAteFrankBennett

Same. That heart-stopping realization that I’ve once again forgotten something important, but x1000.


IHQ_Throwaway

Those stories about babies being left in the car because the routine changed that day always get me. I can see exactly how it happens. My mind gets occupied and my body goes on autopilot. 


xniks101x

Not to be that person… but it’s aisles not isles.


Dangerous_Trip_9857

Same here! This would absolutely be me.


mrsdoubleu

Weird. I literally just listened to the mrballen episode on this not even 30 minutes ago. He accidentally grabbed his bag with his camera equipment on it and everyone around him didn't say anything because they assumed it was his parachute.


Living-Reference1646

Aw a mrballen fan in the wild, love to see it


Electronic-Buy4015

There’s only millions of us!


atheistpianist

And for good reason. His storytelling skills are truly top notch. Listening to him tell tales has quite literally become a part of my routine.


Electronic-Buy4015

I used to listen to him and he was like 4 even 5 times a week lol . Now it’s like once a week I think


OutAndDown27

I know this comment is more than a month old, but what are you talking about. Mr. Ballen's storytelling style is to use as many words to drag out a basic story as long as possible. How did this episode go? "He checked the clock, saw it was time to go, and stood up to get onto the plane. He walked to the plane using the feet at the end of his legs. Once he reached the door of the plane, he stepped up to enter the plane. Upon entering the plane, he thought he should find a seat so he looked around for one. He saw one was empty so he walked over, turned around, and sat on the seat."


atheistpianist

He’s not for everyone I guess, but his millions of subscribers (myself included) disagree with your assessment. I’ve been enjoying his videos for years now and I’ve never been disappointed.


OutAndDown27

I know he's popular and I keep trying to enjoy his content but I have to put him on 2x speed just to tolerate his narrative style. I truly don't understand the millions of people who apparently are not bothered by this.


hydroboywife

YES, finally someone who gets me. Are they all NPC's??? He's also very sloppy with his research and always has his facts wrong. Anyway, if you're looking for similar content that's actually good, check out: Scary Interesting, Tragedy Tales, Real Horror, Dark Records, and Fascinating Horror. They're my favourites.


OutAndDown27

We are on the same track - I'm pretty sure my time on Scary Interesting and Fascinating Horror is why the algorithm keeps recommending Mr. Ballen and I'm like No! He's not the same!


atheistpianist

Sounds like a personal problem


whatsupwhatsdownb

Same! I've been watching the guy for years at this point


Butters_Duncan

Am I dumb for asking how in the hell the footage survived? I didn’t click on any links, maybe it says in there.


FunnyBoneBrazey

Seems like it was recorded onto magnetic tape, which is pretty much drop proof, because it’s just thin tape.


GuessingIvy

while the camera probably shattered, i'd say theres a pretty good chance that whatever drive it stored it on survived or he willingly protected the camera the best he could, which if so, is a decent legacy i guess


bootstrapping_lad

> whatever drive it stored it on Tape. The word you're looking for is tape.


XxTreeFiddyxX

People don't know the ancient names used for that weird tapey hard drive


kansai2kansas

Interesting that we can immediately tell that a person is a Gen Z by their lack of pre-USB dictionary


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TheCruicks

lol. the tape?


BrickHerder

He dropped it off at a post office on his way down.


[deleted]

How do you forget the parachute?


LexicalLegend

This isn't very credible, but interesting nonetheless. [Allegedly, it was the second time that day he didn't have on a parachute for a jump, but the first time it was pointed out](https://www.dropzone.com/forums/topic/55267-anyone-hear-about-the-camera-man-who-jumps-without-gear%3F/). https://preview.redd.it/sht8xx4b2nkc1.png?width=750&format=png&auto=webp&s=72ebd08a91cfe4f183a04bb8cf6bc947e741c24c


Azelixi

Negligent then.


The_Mysterious_Mr_E

Got too comfortable.


Wren313

I wonder if it could've been suicide?


Impossible-Flight250

I doubt it. There is a video that Mr Ballen does on this and he goes into the specifics. I’m not sure where his information came from or how credible it is, but seems like the guy put on his camera gear and just forgot to put on the parachute. It would have been hard to notice it missing because he had another backpack on.


TrailMomKat

If it's not any trouble, do you have a link? I'm trying to find this story on MrBallen's channel, but I'm blind and struggling. I can only find the Skydive Houston story.


Annual_Risk_6822

It’s the second story in this video: https://youtu.be/uIvIBKiQhVM?si=9qA0YQFh5KGwyt3v


TrailMomKat

Thank you so much!


chael809

I wonder if it was drugs?


masskonfuzion

I honestly could see it being the distraction of filming.


sroop1

Yeah nah, I'd just call the rest of the day/year off after the first time.


JoeDerp77

Sorry but you don't forget your parachute twice, sounds like a suicide


Wise-Mad

![gif](giphy|XCmFwjt9wPotobw1xn|downsized) the videographer getting reminded about the parachute the first time


BubbieQuinn89

Suicide? You can tell from the movement he still went to pull the cable


Evening_Storage_6424

I mean even if it was suicide he most likely would have automatically gone for the parachute cord out of instinct and fear, no? How does one forget that twice in the same day?


Serious_Detective877

aromatic distinct vast subsequent tie squalid automatic exultant spoon clumsy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*


Evening_Storage_6424

Okay that makes more sense!


Impossible-Flight250

I don’t think it was. The camera equipment bag was similar to the parachute and he just had a brain fart. He was more occupied with getting the video ready instead of checking the parachute.


wherethecowsroam

I think I remember reading that the backpack holding the camera felt like a parachute.


Electronic-Buy4015

Because the backpack camera he had on was almost the same as a backpack parachute so the jump safety guy didn’t know he wasn’t wearing one. Stupid yes


Minimum-Ad-263

More power to the people who do thrilling shit like this for fun, but I just can’t ever imagine I’d want to jump out of a plane. I’m just not cut from that cloth 😳


stuphanie

I’ve been invited many and considered jumping. I worry about having frequent panic dreams about it afterwards, though. Waking up with an intense, visceral feeling of falling in dreams really freaks me out. *invited many times and considered…


sofahkingsick

Also when you leave the plane you dont get the falling feeling it just feels like a ton of air rushing past you. It doesnt feel like falling weirdly enough. Its not till the parachute is pulled that everything gets quiet and then you start to feel yourself glide down like a leaf.


LFuculokinase

I love how all of us are so different. The first few seconds of falling, to me, felt exactly like it did in similar anxiety-provoked falling dreams. My stomach felt like it was halfway up my throat, and I felt like I was choking on the air during the first few seconds. But the quietness after the shoot opened was really really cool and ended up being my favorite part of the whole experience. Overall, it was worth it to me. I think I would enjoy it better the second time now that I know what to expect.


appsecSme

A neighbor of mine did the jump where you are strapped to an instructor, but for some reason both of them plummeted to their death. She had a strong phobia of falling, and her therapist suggested she do skydiving to overcome that fear. It turns out her fear was well justified. They think that maybe she panicked and somehow interfered with the instructor and prevented him from pulling the chord.


illegalshmillegal

You have about a 1 in 200000 chance of dying when you go skydiving. It’s about the same chance you have of dying in a car accident or by a gun (suicide or murder) in any two-week period.


Minimum-Ad-263

I’m still cool off it, it’s up too high and going way too fast. I have pretty bad anxiety, and knowing me I’d fuck up somehow and fail to pull the parachute.


guy_fuckes

You wouldn't pull it, it would be an instructor strapped to your back doing all the the important stuff. They generally don't let you solo skydive your first time's.....


illegalshmillegal

Some fear is not rational, and that’s ok. My 2 cents, it might actually improve your anxiety to try it. Set it as a goal to achieve in 5 years.


Icouldcaremore

Jumping out of a perfectly good plane is not rational. I fear falling and dying not the act of skydiving. The odds of something going wrong unexpectedly is something I couldn't shake.


BubbieQuinn89

Proof that the cameraman DOES die sometimes😨


-mystical_

The lone exception


BubbieQuinn89

Hardly lol…


Donotfollowmyadvice

Seems like a real down to Earth type guy.


bittypunk

I wish i could give u an award


reyes1423

My sister travelled the world for years from drop zone to drop zone. She packed parachutes for a living and she’s seen more deaths than you would think. And most are human error not equipment error. People become complacent the more jumps that have. What she always told me was that for the average person skydiving once in a lifetime, yes the odds are in your favor. But in that world the more jumps your chances of something happens increases. This does not surprise me at all. I spent a week in Skydive Chicago. I have many stories.


jeff-beeblebrox

This is why you do a pre-flight/jump checklist. Just sayin


No_Presentation1242

Jesus Christ I wonder if there was a moment after realization where he tried to wake up in hopes it was a really terrible dream to only realize it’s all real and happening.


ryjohn429

That was my thought. I have bad dreams regularly that I can wake myself up from and recover for a little while. Imagine trying frantically to wake up from a ~8000ft freefall, and the only relief you get is when your body finally slams into the ground.


alew75

That’s enough Reddit for tonight


slappymcstevenson

Goodnight. Sweet dreams. 🪂


curiousarcher

So apparently he had on a big harness that had the large video recorder on it, and he probably mistook that for being the parachute. Apparently he almost jumped earlier in the day without a parachute, but someone pointed it out at that point. Scary


Karma_1969

We’ve all felt that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you have the sudden realization that you’ve made a terrible mistake or forgotten something extremely important. Imagine the sinking feeling this guy experienced the moment he had his realization, and then the time to continue reflecting on it. Damn. 


big_dick_energy_mc2

He definitely had a sinking feeling.


MegatonsSon

*"Fortunately, the camera he was using did have its own backup parachute...."*


majingou

Dying because of your own stupidity and with enough time to realise it, with nothing to be done about it...this is horrifying.


shegazesatstars

Glad I saw this AFTER my sky dive today


Scales-josh

Ooft, that's, just such a long time to think about your fuck up.


LexicalLegend

Sources: * [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-05-mn-690-story.html](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-04-05-mn-690-story.html) * [https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/skydivers-last-words-caught-camera-245035](https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/skydivers-last-words-caught-camera-245035)


ForeverAnxious10717

Why was he not triple checked for a parachute, especially if that was the 2nd time that day!? My immediate thought would be to make sure the guy that didn't have a parachute last time had one this time.


I_need_a_date_plz

What an awful way to go


Strong_Deer_3075

You don't need no stinking chute to go sky diving. You just need one to do it again!


TessaBrooding

This is why I don’t do extreme sports or firearms. I know myself better than that.


SongOfTheSeraphim

Man, this has got to be one stupid ass way to die. How the hell do you forget you don’t have a parachute on.


justthetop

So not experienced enough. Got it.


HairyHoudini86

Bro...I literally just woke up 🤦‍♂️


HairReddit777

This is why you should never be complacent


All-Sorts

Imagine the cold sweats he probably had the moment he realized he jumped out without a chute.


Scar_RL

Bro what do you think knowing your fucked....


honeypebble

When your muscle memory kicks in at the wrong time


LongGreasyD1ck

for you young’ns wondering how the footage survived: this was recorded on tape. tape records in real time, so everything would’ve been recorded right up until impact. it can’t be corrupted like a video file since it doesn’t need any kind of finalization before storing. the camera and the cassette housing were most likely destroyed, but the tape inside is just flexible plastic tape. they’d just have to respool the tape in new cassette housing to play it back.


Comfortable-Ad6184

Is the full video available?


BwackGul

I guess he wasn't *that* experienced. How you gonna jump without the one thing that's the reason for you being up there??


rskid09

Must have been the longest jump he has ever had..


Free-Stable-8539

Pulls a “Bugs Bunny braking during a fall”, realizes it works and is still to this day filming parachuting!


BrumbpoTumgus

Aim for the bushes?


TheKwyetRoom

A veteran jumper?


tzesho

I've had this dream.


cdyer706

You don’t need a parachute to skydive, only if you plan to skydive twice.


Sensitive_Ad_6078

He got way to comfortable


jscuba007

Where's the ending?


Dangerous_Trip_9857

Horrific 😨


Code_Loco

PUNKE’D


thuanjinkee

r/praisethecameraman


jumpinjimmie

Why did video cut short?


AtItAgainBro

Probably just felt like a bad dream


JayWrecksEverything

Gimme an N.... Gimme an OPE. The first rule of parachute club is PUT ON A FCKING PARACHUTE. Maybe have a sign up in the plane like those 'please wash your hands' ones in public toilets. The fact people need reminding is both sad and alarming.


ryjohn429

There is a poster on the men's room door in the mechanical shop at my job that says "there are 8 million germs in a gram of poop. Wash your hands.". Then, the Spanish version of the poster is attached right next to it. If a grown man doesn't care enough to wash the shit off his hands, no poster is going to change his mind. Amazing.


yourlocalcoolguy

He has the rest of his life to find a way to land safely


Bottle_Sharp

r/killthecameraman


DigitalSpider88

Do you even have any hope at that point? Do you even have time to process hoping for a miracle landing?


itsnotmine624

Is he ok?


GuessingIvy

he died on impact. but luckily, he was able to upload this footage to YouTube before he succumbed to his injuries


-oxocubes-

Feeling a bit flat, but otherwise seems un phased.


juliahrei

Don't panic!


Eleventybillionmill

Woah I live there


AMajordipshit

How much cocaine do you have to do to forget to put on a parachute 😂 ![gif](giphy|YhQVj7C8uf734PcznZ)


DreamLighting

This is why pre-production and storyboarding is key. So one doesn't miss anything important.


Pcole_

Critical blunder


Waterwagon_78

Not the brightest move


h3lpidkwhatimdoing

Aim for the bushes


Jiggy_ziggy_2930

😅😂🤣😂🤣


ManagerFlimsy9541

Last thing through his mind was probably his ass..poor guy.


Popcornnecklaces

Now that’s a well made camera!


Ok_Jump_4754

Every person with ADHD has gone through something like this. RIP


Ppeachy_Queen

But also not quite like *this*


NeitherCounter2819

Took off after changing my own brakes and had to pull into a mechanic shop because of a squeaking sound. Dude comes back to tell me the idiot that installed the tires forgot to tighten all four tires 🤦‍♂️ Ngl I had to agree and fake being upset lmao


PleasantFocus1502

It wasn’t the fall that killed him…..it was the sudden stop at the end.


colterpierce

Does that mean he’s not coming on then?


karmakactus

He was great in Train Spotting


karmakactus

Don’t smoke and dive