Dano 0 #1 August 11, 2002 ZEPHYRHILLS - A 70-year-old former TV anchorman who survived a 3,000-foot plunge into Cypress Gardens 27 years ago found himself in a similar predicament Saturday when his parachute failed after he jumped from a plane at 14,500 feet. Once again, Arch Deal survived - this time after successfully deploying a reserve parachute. In the 1975 accident, Deal's main and emergency parachutes became tangled and he fell to earth at an estimated 130 mph before a tree broke his fall. Deal broke both his legs Saturday and suffered other injuries after making a turn too fast and too close to the ground, said T.K. Hayes, manager of Skydive City. He was listed in fair condition Saturday night at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. ``Deal is a pretty tough old guy,'' Hayes said. ``But we probably won't know for another 24 hours about whether he'll be back up again.'' Deal, who was an anchor for WFLA, News Channel 8, from the 1950s through 1970s, became a professional skydiver with a group called Arch Deal and the Falling Arches. He returned to television eight weeks after his 1975 accident, in which he suffered a broken neck, broken back and ribs and a separated pelvis. He survived brain surgery two years ago and minor injuries in other skydiving mishaps, people familiar with his activities at the dive center near Interstate 75 said. ``He's been jumping for 30 years or so and has more than 5,500 jumps,'' Hayes said. ``He's quite a competent skyjumper, but there was some level of misjudgment today.'' Deal jumped Saturday with about 20 others who were performing as part of a woman's 50th birthday by joining to form the number in midair. ``He said he didn't quite remember hitting the ground,'' said James Bacon, a driver-engineer for the Zephyrhills Fire Department. Deal has made a custom of commemorating his 1975 accident by jumping on the anniversary date, beginning in 1976. He made a 25th anniversary jump in 2000 at Cypress Gardens, saying, ``I guess I'm a hard man to put down.'' Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813) 259-7817 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RogerRamjet 0 #2 May 1, 2003 Wow, I can't believe that Arch still lives, much less that the old "I went in at 130 mph" fable is still around. I was jumping at Z-Hills back then and jumped with Arch from time to time. He had a very annoying habit of padding his jump log. I would see him maybe three or four times a summer while I was working at Z-Hills and jumping daily. I would make around 250 jumps in a year and he shows up with 900 jumps when I have 500 (we started about the same time in 1973). I asked him where he had been jumping and he replied "just here at Z-Hills." On a jump later that day, Arch was having trouble falling in a stable position.... As for his famous fall at Cypress Gardens, Pat Moore who was the weather man at the same TV station Arch worked at and had over 2000 jumps at the time witnessed the jump. He said Arch went into the orange grove at an estimated 45mph (certainly fast enough to cause those injuries). What Arch failed to tell anyone was that he had a malfunction on his main and only released one capewell, then (paniced) spent no time at all to release the other and went directly to the reserve which entagled with the main. Arch kept telling his managers at the TV station that he was going to go on the air and tell the world about his 130mph miracle so Pat told them what really happened. They warned Arch not to do it, but he did anyway. He was fired the next day. The next time I heard Arch on the air, it was doing traffic reports for one of the local radio stations. I hate it when the media gets all their information from one source (like Arch himself in this case) without checking the facts... Roger "Ramjet" Clark Senior Rigger at Z-Hills from '73 to '75 ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danornan 79 #3 May 1, 2003 Arch is back and made another jump weekend before last. Standup in the peas! Lots of hugs from the ladies.... DanDano Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #4 May 1, 2003 Source for this report? Local paper?"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
danornan 79 #5 May 1, 2003 I was there and saw him! DanDano Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverbrian 0 #6 May 1, 2003 Whatever. In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #7 May 1, 2003 QuoteSource for this report? Local paper? The most recent accident happened a few months ago. Arch broke both legs (remember he over 70 years old). I was there on the day it ocurred. The idea that he is functioning after these injuries is amazing at his age. Anyone who can sustain those injuries more than once and continue to skydive at his age, I salute. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
