There was a lot of hype on Saturday afternoon as 3 o'clock approached and the first spring game under James Franklin at Virginia Tech. The feeling around the fanbase and team is different from what it was back on Thanksgiving Weekend following a season-ending loss to Virginia.
As the game was about to begin, some skydivers were planning on landing inside Lane Stadium, but things took a horrific turn. A skydiver, Pasha Palanker, ended up hitting the scoreboard at Lane Stadium. He spoke about his scary incident and gave a frightening take.
Skydiver explains horrific Virginia Tech incident
Joining Good Morning America, Palanker, a 17-year Army Specialist Veteran, said he joined the parachute teams to deal with his PTSD.
"It happened so fast, it surprised all of us,'' said Palanker. "When I was approaching (Lane Stadium), everything was fine. The wind picked up way above what was expected. I looked like I was going to land on the crowd, which could have been pretty dangerous. As I was turning, trying to go into the (practice) field, another wind shear came in and slammed me into the Jumbotron.
"I was really glad that the parachute was hanging on because it was a long way down. It's not the first time I've walked away from something I shouldn't.''
That take is chilling. Instead of landing on fans, he turned away from the stands as best as he could to avoid an even bigger tragedy. A true American Hero, Palanker, ended up risking his life and dangling from the scoreboard by his parachute until the Blacksburg Fire Department was able to rescue him before anything else happened. He ended up with an arm injury, but avoided a much bigger situation with his actions.
Franklin made a point of thanking everyone involved in ensuring Palanker was rescued and that nothing further happened. It was a frightening scene that ended the best way possible, with no serious injuries.
Add us as a preferred source on Google