This could have been the end of a life

Good news is Neil is on the road to recovery. He broke his back and pelvis. He had a pretty major concussion. The good news is he is going to be ok.

At first I thought he was going to be broken beyond repair or dead. I could hear the panic in Tony's voice.

I had just came in to land when I heard the radio and someone say, "That did not look good. Neil if you are ok can you let us know. If not we are going to call 911."

A few minutes later, helicopters were mobile and rescue operations began. Neil had landed on the hiking trail that leads up to the launch. It looks like he hit some weird air, had a collapse and didn't have enough altitude to recover in time. He crushed his helmet and went unconscious for at least 10 minutes.

Everyone involved in the rescue was incredibly respectful and professional. Special shout out to Tom who was a first responder. Pictures were taken by a local named Bill. Really great timing.

Enjoy this video.