Skydiving disaster survivor reveals dark side to his 'miracle' recovery
A young Melbourne man has shared an emotional account of his mental health struggles after surviving a skydiving fall when his parachutes failed to deploy correctly.
Family and friends had come to watch Brad Guy's dream come true as he jumped over Victoria's Yarra Valley in August 2013, an experience he had received as a gift for his 21st birthday.
But he lived every skydiver’s worst nightmare when the parachute didn't unfold properly, and the reserve became tangled.
His family watched in horror realising something had gone wrong when the young man fell 4.2km at a speed of 80km/h.
Mr Guy shared the gut-wrenching experience in an emotional YouTube video this week, revealing how he was strapped to his tandem instructor Bill, watching the ground come closer they fell, and mentally prepared for his death.
While in the air, he asked Bill if they were going to die. The expert told him “I don’t know.”
As he fell, Mr Guy was wracked with guilt over how he had brought his family there to watch him die, he said while fighting back tears.
“I know death is coming, 100 per cent. It’s a certainty, we are going to hit the ground and I’m going to die,” he recounted - four years on from the horror accident.
“I saw death right in front of me and it was coming.”
But in an incredible stroke of luck, the pair crashed into dam at a nearby golf club, rather than hitting the ground, and golfers raised the alarm.
Both Mr Guy and the instructor survived the crash, but were hospitalised and ordered to spend a 14-week recovery period at home.
The thrill seeker suffered a broken spine, torn ligaments in his neck and bruising, requiring him to be fitted with a neck and back brace, and unable to move unassisted. But his mental pain was the biggest recovery battle.
Long after his body recovered from his brush with death, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress continued to plague the young man.
“The next four or five months was the most intense period of my life. I just sat there and hated myself for the longest time,” he told.
After months of lying in his room, shutting off the world with his door locked and curtains drawn, Mr Guy finally agreed to seek mental support, which turned his life around.
“These days life is really different. It’s been four years since the accident and I can safely say I’m thriving.”
He encouraged others to “chase your dreams”, and urged those battling emotional demons to seek help so they can get the most out of life.
“I could have died knowing there was more to my life… Don’t waste any time. Follow your dreams right now,” he implored his YouTube followers.
If you are concerned about the mental health of yourself or a loved one, seek support and information by calling Lifeline 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36.
