Operations continue as usual at a skydiving school located in Peterborough, UK. Instructor Mike Smith prepares to take his student, Richard Maynard, on a tandem jump, while his friend Ronnie O’Brien captures the experience on film.
Due to the faster descent speed of tandem jumpers compared to solo jumpers, a small parachute known as a ‘drogue’ is deployed to help reduce their velocity. However, as Mike deploys the drogue, an unforeseen incident occurs when part of it becomes entangled around his neck.
This incident has been recreated for the program ‘Tue Heros’ to illustrate the rapid and intense nature of Ronnie’s response in rescuing the tandem pair, ultimately preserving their lives.
We intentionally placed the tandem into a side spin, accompanied by safety divers, to realistically portray the situation, with safety divers positioned alongside to facilitate the recovery process.