About this episode
What are the odds of surviving a fall from 15,000 feet in the air? It's the equivalent of plummeting from half the height of Mount Everest. The answer should be zero and yet, somehow, Brad lived to tell the story. At 22 years old, Brad was the kind of person who lit up every room, outgoing, gregarious, full of life. So when his family gave him a belated birthday present of a tandem skydive, it seemed like the perfect thrill for someone who embraced adventure. But what happened next was every skydiver's nightmare. The main parachute would fail to open properly, then the reserve chute tangled with the first. Brad and his instructor spun violently through the air like rag dolls caught in a vortex, hurtling toward the ground at 80 kilometers per hour with no way to stop. They hit the earth with devastating force. Against all odds, they both survived. But survival came at a brutal cost. Brad's spine was broken. His neck torn. And the invisible wounds, the severe depression, the PTSD, the psychological trauma of falling through the sky knowing you're about to die, those scars ran even deeper. This is the story of what happened when Brad's parachutes failed. But more than that, it's the story of what happened after. Find Brads book here If you or someone you know is struggling, help is avaliable: Australia Lifeline: 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 | beyondblue.org.au Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 | suicidecallbackservice.org.au New Zealand Lifeline NZ: 0800 543 354 | lifeline.org.nz Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 Need to Talk: Free text or call 1737 | 1737.org.nz United Kingdom Samaritans: 116 123 | samaritans.org PAPYRUS (under 35s): 0800 068 4141 | papyrus-uk.org Mind: 0300 123 3393 | mind.org.uk United States 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 | crisistextline.org For a broader international list covering additional countries, hotpeachpages.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.