Why you will NEVER see St. Standard Sky-dive . . .
June 23, 2008 by Ashley St. Standard
Let this be a lesson to all you with bucket-lists, midlife crisis remedies, the Amazing Race challenges or whatever else makes you want to skydive. This dude, Richard Alvin Schindler, a professional sky diver (and cop), was killed! Yeah, he was flattened like a pancake when his chute didn’t open on a dive on Saturday. Now if I recall, sky-divers pack their own parachutes (to avoid terrible guilt if for some reason the person for whom you packed a parachute for died from the chute not opening). So it’s his fault he croaked, but if a pro can’t pack his chute correctly, what makes you think you can do it right?
If you’d done your research you’d know that this man was a CHAMPION at this. This was his passion.
I knew him personally and he was an AMAZING man. It was an accident- and certainly nobody’s fault.
Along with being a parachuter and a cop..he was also known as 1stSgt Schindler. Retired Marine.
Your comment about 1stSgt Schindler is written in poor taste and shows absolutely no remorse for his grieving family. I hope his wife and children don’t read your comments.
Hello and welcome to my story is my commentary on how I think skydiving is ridiculous. 1st Sgt. Schindler’s sad and unfortunate fate is significant proof to this statement. A professional who not only has extensive experience but who was also recognized by his peers in competition as an exemplary skydiver is not even safe from danger. So why would any amateur think they would be able to live through a jump for the fun of it! Geez people can you even read?
Really, YOUR A PRO-SKYDIVER!!! It’s Like being shocked a PRO-BULLET DODGER got SHOT!!!
Jumping out of a plane is gambling with your Life, you know the risk involved. Tell you the truth, i think it is really Reckless to be a Skydiver if you have a Family. It’s a sport of Ridiculous Risk that should be left behind when you have a family.
Oh, and I love how Skydiver’s use their statistics to get you to use them to jump with them… “I have over 200 successful jumps under my belt” What would be classified as a unsuccessful jump? You should just say it how it is, “I have jumped out of a plane and not died 200 times”.
THAT IS SO TRUE! It only takes one “unsuccessful” trip to kill you!
Your comments were crass and rude. You show absolutely no remorse or consideration for his grieving family.
There’s a difference between stating, “Skydiving is dangerous” and saying that this tragedy should be a lesson to those in a ‘midlife crisis’ and ‘he was flattened like a pancake’.
I absolutely feel empathy for his family. The saddest part of this entire thing is that 1st Sergeant Schindler is dead because of a choice that he made to do something that is ridiculously dangerous and just not worth it . His family has to be devastated. . . so devastated in fact, that I highly doubt they read my silly little blog. If this is soo offensive, here’s an idea, stop reading.
I Love how these people don’t even comment on the original story from the usa today site, but Vent their anger on this site. I’m sticking by my comment’s…
I think if this was his passion there would be no better way to die, why do people get soo upset, better this than than old and decrepit crapping themselves in a nursing home bed dead.
wow i didn’t know skydivers were such whiney little babies. quite a far cry from the mountain dew commercials
It is a Tradgedy, 1st Sgt Shindler was my Drill Instructor when i went through the Marine Corps. To say your comments is what true wimps do, to degrade a true warrior of this nation shows how much of real men you are. Get a life.
May God Bless his Family
Rabbit (eric)
WHOEVER WROTE THIS BLOG ON RICK IS A COMPLETE IGNORANT JACKASS!!! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT AN AWSOME INTELLIGENT PERSON HE WAS. PROBABLY ONE OF THE SMARTEST MEN YOU COULD EVER MEET IN YOUR LIFE. REMEMBER, WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND!
We all miss SCHINDLER very much!!!! he was the smartest man, and held the highest standard of what a real man should be. Shindler thanks for all that you taught me. I will carry on and hold all that you taught me dear to my heart, and use it in everyday life. May Jesus rest your soul. God Bless you hero, Martinez. SEMPER FI!
Ashley,
Im just going to guess (or hope?) you are under 20 and think you’ve got the world figured out.
Here are some facts for you:
1. You are far more likely to die driving down the street than skydiving.
2. All reserve chutes MUST be packed by a certified rigger. Riggers constantly go through re-certification and all reserve chutes are inspected on a regular basis.
3. Skydiving is a risky activity. Just driving a car, eating rare meat, having sex (condom or not), and breathing air in any big city.
Your high and mighty attitude wont get you too far in this big world, sweetheart. Just because you don’t have the courage to confront your fears doesn’t mean you need to mock a man who served his country, and community for doing something he and hundreds of thousands of others have loved.
Yes Kids… remember… SEX IS JUST AS DANGEROUS AS JUMPING OUT OF A PERFECTLY GOOD AIRPLANE!!!!
Hey, moron, ever heard of AIDS? Don’t disrespect a man who made made his living by parachuting into dangerous places to fight the bad guys… it’s not like he did it for kicks, but he was a Recon Marine and being a paratrooper is part of the job. You really can’t equate that to casual idiots who do it for fun.
Oh, and another thing: a little bit of follow up will show that the Riverside Sherrif department suspects that somebody tampered with his chute. That prettymuch invalidates your whole point of “even a pro can screw it up” because he didn’t.