Joan Murray Survived a Sky Diving Accident by Landing on a Fire Ant Nest
Joan Murray experienced a skydiving mishap in 1999 when both of her parachutes malfunctioned, causing her to plummet 14,500 feet in the air above North Carolina. Although the fall would have resulted in her death, she fortunately landed on a mound of fire ants. It was not the mound that broke her fall and saved her life; rather, it was the 200-plus ant bites she received that kept her heart beating and adrenaline flowing.
Joan Murray Survives a Fall from 700 Feet
A doctor explains how Joan Murray survived her skydiving accident by landing on fire ants
We’ve all had nightmares of falling from a great height. For Joan Murray that nightmare became a reality.
Joan Murray, a 47-year-old bank executive from Charlotte, North Carolina, experienced a terrifying ordeal that involved jumping out of an airplane at 14,500 feet, only to find out that her parachute would not open.
On September 25, 1999, Murray's reserve chute deployed 700 feet from the ground, but she became disoriented and spun out of control, causing the chute to lose air.
She plummeted to the ground at 80 mph and crashed into a nest of fire ants. The impact of the fall shattered the right side of her body and even knocked out some of her dental fillings.
Joan Murray is Saved by the Fire Ants
Joan Murray after recovering from serious injuries sustained during a skydiving accident.
Following the ant attack that stung the semiconscious skydiver over 200 times, paramedics arrived and rushed her to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.
Her doctors speculate that the ant stings may have given her heart continued bursts of adrenaline that helped it to keep beating. She lay in a coma for two weeks and her body swelled from the injuries.
According to her coworker, Spencer Denton, her 115-lb. body had ballooned to resemble that of a 300-lb. person. After six weeks, she was well enough to go home, where her twin daughters and ex-husband tended to her.
By June 2001, she was able to limp back to work with a metal rod in her right leg and five 5-in. spikes in her pelvis. Astonishingly, she went for her 37th skydive in July 2001.
Joan Murray was forever changed by her accident. Her coworker noted that she no longer has the same workaholic tendencies, and Joan herself acknowledged that she has learned to prioritize the essential things in life, such as expressing gratitude and love.
Is Joan Murray Still Alive?
Unfortunately Joan passed away in 2022 after a courageous battle with cancer.
