Current Date: 16 Feb, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Woman survives skydiving accident, discovers she's pregnant

2005, a woman performing her first solo skydive jump survived a parachute malfunction which caused her to slam face first into a parking lot at 50 MPH. During surgery doctors discovered she was pregnant. She made a full recovery and the baby was fine.

Shayna Richardson appeared fully equipped before she jumped to experience her first 10,000-foot accelerated free fall, or AFF as it is known to skydivers.

Before the jump, she stated on a home-made video, “I’m going to walk out, get OK’d,” appearing ecstatic and in complete control.

But something terribly went wrong. Both Richardson’s main and reserve parachute failed to open properly. The 21-year-old started to fall at a speed of about 50 mph and hit the ground face-first in a parking lot in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Pregnant death dive survivor is now mother of two 1
Photo credit: Mirror

“I didn’t know I had anything wrong with my parachute until a few seconds after I deployed,” she recalled. It opened properly and was fully inflated above my head when one of the steering toggles suddenly snapped loose, sending me into an uncontrollable spin. I had to cut away to what was supposed to be a guaranteed open with my reserve, which only opened partially, because I was unaware of the problem.

The entire descent was caught on camera, and Rich West, Shayna’s boyfriend and a skydiving instructor, could be heard yelling, “Shayna, pump the brake,” in the background.

Her face and pelvis broke like “eggshells,” and doctors had to insert steel plates. She learned she was pregnant for two weeks while she was in the hospital. The unharmed infant is due in June.

Richardson claimed that she submitted to God’s will on the way down.

Pregnant death dive survivor is now mother of two 2
Photo credit: today.com

She said, “I just asked God to take away the pain of the impact, and I let go of my steering toggles.” I told him that I was ready to return home because I didn’t want to endure the suffering.

After that, everything else she recalls is the ambulance. After the impact, she allegedly tried to sit up, but West forced her to stay down and advised her to unwind.

He said, “She spit her teeth out. “I noticed she had lost every tooth,”

Richardson declared, “There is no logical justification for why I survived. “It just comes down to God being involved in that.”

Despite her near-death experience, she intends to skydive once more in August.

She said to Diane Sawyer, “You have got to go for yourself. “You have to experience it once to comprehend.”

Similar Stories
Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

Story of Forrest Fenn and who he hid a bronze chest treasure full of gold and other jewels

Story of Forrest Fenn and who he hid a bronze chest treasure full of gold and other jewels

Forrest Fenn, an art dealer, hid a bronze chest full of gold and other jewels somewhere in the Rocky Mountains ten years ago. In a poem, he hinted at its location. Thousands of people tried and failed to find the treasure, which is said to be worth over a million dollars, and at least four people died in the process. In June 2020, the Fenn treasure was discovered.

Toddler Calls 911 Accidentally and Saves Dad's Life

Toddler Calls 911 Accidentally and Saves Dad's Life

A father from Florida collapsed on the floor during a medical episode. Fortunately, his toddler son dialed 911 by accident and saved his life. An officer from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office arrived quickly and administered first aid before transporting him to a nearby hospital.

Missing Masterpiece Discovered in the Background of ‘Stuart Little’

Missing Masterpiece Discovered in the Background of ‘Stuart Little’

In 2009, Gergely Barki, an art historian, was watching the film Stuart Little (1999) when he spotted an original long-lost painting used as a prop. Called Sleeping Lady with Black Vase, this painting was the work of Hungarian avant-garde painter Róbert Berény. The painting had been considered lost after World War II.

A little girl survived a 1-hour submersion in freezing creek water

A little girl survived a 1-hour submersion in freezing creek water

On June 10, 1986, two-and-a-half-year-old Michelle Funk fell into an icy creek and was submerged for 66 minutes. When rescuers pulled her out of the water, she was not breathing, had no pulse, and appeared lifeless. The doctors used various techniques to rewarm her blood and bring her back to life. She was successfully resuscitated and went on to lead a healthy life.

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

24-year-old burglar beaten by retired boxer victim

A 24-year-old knife-wielding burglar attempted to get into the home of a 72-year-old senior in Oxford, England, in 2009, but was left battered, bruised, and pinned to the ground. Frank Corti, the elderly, turned out to be a former boxing champion.

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

Abraham Crijnssen – The Ship That Disguised Itself As An Island

During World War II a Dutch minesweeper evaded the Japanese for eight days disguised as an island. The crew covered the decks in cut trees and painted exposed surfaces to look like rocks. They moved only at night and anchored closed to shore by day, eventually escaping to Australia.