Thrills, Spills and Chills

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

06 Oct 2006 07:34 AM

Look! Up in the sky... it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a... falling Elvis? We all know Elvis impersonators sing, but did you know they fly too? Or, should I say, FALL? That's exactly what happened to a member of The Flying Elvi, a 10-member skydiving team made up of Elvis Presley impersonators. The group was hired to parachute into the parking lot of a Las Vegas casino last week when, according to news reports, a "Flying Elvis" fell hard and suffered a broken pelvis in the process. OUCH!

I know I shouldn't laugh (and really, I'm not... it was more of a smirk) at his unfortunate accident, but I have interviewed members of The Flying Elvi on a number of occasions (in my previous life as a television news reporter) and they are such an affable group. They stay in character (even when they are "off-air") and truly take their job seriously.

I really do feel bad that this particular Elvis got hurt. And, you know it had to have hurt since in misjudging the landing he hit the ground at 50 mph and broke his pelvis. I do hope he feels better. Though, I will say this is just another example of why I don't jump out of airplanes.

I don't bungee jump either... and here's why:

While that Elvis was breaking his pelvis in Vegas, in Oklahoma a man was left to dangle 25-feet off the ground for more than 30 minutes after a bungee cord on a thrill ride broke. According to news reports, the man was eventually rescued by firefighters and was not seriously injured. However, it doesn't take away from the fact that he was left hanging sideways in mid-air for a half-hour.

Can you imagine? According to a local paper, the man was spending the day at the Tulsa State Fair when he boarded a ride called the Ejection Seat, which consists of a two-seat chair that is suspended from two towers by bungee cords. The ride propels passengers as much as 200 feet high at speeds of about 60 mph. Witnesses told reporters, shortly after the man was launched, one of the cords broke, leaving his seat dangling sideways near one of the towers. Just another reason why I stay away from thrill rides... yes, I know this puts me in the wimp category, but at least it keeps me out of the hospital and in one piece.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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