Children 2 Name Joan Murray | Role Skydiver | |
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Residence Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. Nationality American Ethnicity Caucasian Born 1955 (age 68) Similar Felix Baumgartner, Jeb Corliss, Shital Mahajan | ||
Joan Murray (born 1955) is an American bank executive and skydiver who survived falling from a height of 14,500 feet (4400 meters).
Murray lived in Charlotte, North Carolina and worked for Bank of America. She occasionally skydived before her accident. On September 25, 1999, she went on a skydive from 14,500 feet. Her main parachute could not open, and although her backup parachute opened at 700 feet, it quickly deflated. She approached the ground at 80 miles per hour (128 kilometers per hour), landing on a mound of fire ants. Doctors believe that the shock of being stung over 200 times by the ants released a surge of adrenaline which kept her heart beating.
Murray experienced significant injuries from an accident, resulting in the right side of her body being shattered and dental fillings being dislodged. She was in a coma for two weeks at the Carolinas Medical Center but made it through after undergoing 20 reconstructive surgeries and receiving 17 blood transfusions. Despite these challenges, Murray chose to continue her employment at Bank of America, declining the option to retire due to disability. She took physical therapy sessions and went on a 37th skydive in 2001.