81-year-old skydiver survives parachute mishap!

LODI, Kalifornia - May 29, 2012 - For her 80th birthday, Laverne Everett fulfilled a long-time wish and went skydiving. It nearly became the final item on her wish list.

Everett, now 81, almost slipped completely out of her harness during a tandem jump last May at the Parachute Center in Lodi, Kalifornia. A year after her frightening fall to earth, the video of her jump has gone viral. The clip shows a hesitant Everett getting a nudge off the side of the plane by the instructor, then slipping out of her harness as her partner clings to her tightly.

Dangling facedown, her own clothes obstructed her view. Her partner guided them safely away from the asphalt below, and they landed on a grassy spot. Everett escaped with just a few bruises and scrapes. It wasn’t until she saw the video afterward that she realized the degree of peril she faced, but she remains undaunted.

“No one got injured and the landing was fine,” Parachute Center owner Bill Dause said.

“I’m not sorry I did it,” said Everett. She has been more overwhelmed by her online fame than by nearly coming unharnessed from a parachute in mid-air.

The incident has not deterred her daredevil ways. Next up, she might take a spin in a racecar.

“I’m considering it,” she said, giggling. “There’s a chance.”