HOUSTON — The recent skydiving accident in Waller County hits close to home for 57-year-old David Hartsock.
Hartsock is a former instructor at Skydive Houston, where he worked for six years. His last jump was on Aug. 1, 2009.
It was the day his entire life changed.
“Being a quadriplegic is a challenge. Every day there’s so many different things that a quadriplegic has to have,” Hartsock said.
Experts say skydiving accidents are extremely rare. The United States Parachute Association reports one death for every 500,000 jumps.
Hartsock was one of those rare cases. While he and a client were in the air, his parachute didn’t open properly. He said he tried to reach for his reserve.
"It got tangled up, so it was ... that's a problem,” he said.
Hartsock said at that moment his focus was saving the woman who was with him.
“I was able to swing us around ... I hit the ground first and she landed on me. She was able to walk away but she had other severe injuries," Hartsock said.
He spent more than six months in the hospital recovering. He also learned he’d never be able to walk again.
Reflecting on that day, Hartsock said he did what he was trained to do. He said it’s a risk that comes with the job.
“Anyone who goes up in the air, you become a tandem instructor, you know you're going to be responsible for someone else's life," he said.
He said the accident made him much more grateful for life.
"By the grace of God, I got lucky, you know," he said.