Somebody’s about to jump off the building

[Mich the Tester]

So what happened to the firemen with the trampoline jobbie? Did he miss it?
Did they move it at the last minute?
Did they miss him?
Did he bounce off?

What happened to them?

They were ready with the cushion, but he ran off to one side and jumped and they couldn't get there on time.

[dang65]

Selfish b.stard. There are far less messy ways to top yourself, that don't involve your remains being collected using a fish-slice.

I've always liked that one where you tie one end of a long rope to a lampost and the other end round your neck, then you get in your car and drive off at high speed. Kind of like an advanced version of pulling a tooth out with a bit of string tied to a door handle.

I bet that would make an horrendous mess, but it would be really dramatic and exciting.

[SizeZero]

I guess his mind was really made up then

Nothing about it on AT5 this morning which is strange.

[Mich the Tester]

I guess his mind was really made up then

Nothing about it on AT5 this morning which is strange.

A friend of mine’s a journalist for NOS Radio 2; he says there’s an unwritten rule in the Dutch press to not give press attention to such suicides to avoid provoking others who might be considering the same thing. Decide for yourself on the logic of that. I also know that when people jump in front of a train, which happens quite often, the train company announce it neutrally by saying there was an ‘aanrijding’ or ‘collision’. You could get the impression that trains are constantly crashing in Holland, but in reality they’re saying there was a suicide.

[TimberWolf]

Human skin is quite good at keeping the bits in. Like a big leather bag.

The skull isn't. (For those of a normal disposition, don't bother reading on). I came across someone who'd jumped from a not considerable height (~10m) and the result was much worse than I would have expected from a fall of that height. Half the head was missing and what remained of the face was smashed up unrecognisably. And, as if in some nightmare, as I approached and was working out what horror and circumstances lay a few metres in front of me (my closest approach), I trod in some of the brains. I imagine at greater heights limbs and other parts might have separated from the body.

[DaveB]

The skull isn't. (For those of a normal disposition, don't bother reading on). I came across someone who'd jumped from a not considerable height (~10m) and the result was much worse than I would have expected from a fall of that height. Half the head was missing and what remained of the face was smashed up unrecognisably. And, as if in some nightmare, as I approached and was working out what horror and circumstances lay a few metres in front of me (my closest approach), I trod in some of the brains. I imagine at greater heights limbs and other parts might have separated from the body.

Air accident victims, where the plane has broken up at altitude, typically come down in bits. If the plane breaks up at 35,000 feet hypoxia, hypothermia and shock will knock you out in a matter of seconds, from there the speed at which you are travelling ( hundreds of miles an hour ) will cause limbs to flail until they separate from the torso as there is no muscle control to keep them rigid or folded into the body. A bit like the way a strip of metal will eventually break from fatigue if you bend it back and forth repeatedly. Clothing is also ripped away in most cases.

There have been a very small number of documented cases of individuals surviving such incident but they are definately the exception.

[SizeZero]

Air accident victims, where the plane has broken up at altitude, typically come down in bits. If the plane breaks up at 35,000 feet hypoxia, hypothermia and shock will knock you out in a matter of seconds, from there the speed at which you are travelling ( hundreds of miles an hour ) will cause limbs to flail until they separate from the torso as there is no muscle control to keep them rigid or folded into the body. A bit like the way a strip of metal will eventually break from fatigue if you bend it back and forth repeatedly. Clothing is also ripped away in most cases.

There have been a very small number of documented cases of individuals surviving such incident but they are definately the exception.

I will never forget a tv programme where they re-enacted the British Airways 747 pilot who was half-sucked out of the cabin and held by his knees by two crew members until landing. Amazing stuff - and the guy survived!

I also remember watching a documentary on the Space Shuttle (Columbia?), and how they believe two of the crew were still alive until they hit the ground - very scary stuff.

[TimberWolf]

Air accident victims, where the plane has broken up at altitude, typically come down in bits. If the plane breaks up at 35,000 feet hypoxia, hypothermia and shock will knock you out in a matter of seconds, from there the speed at which you are travelling ( hundreds of miles an hour ) will cause limbs to flail until they separate from the torso as there is no muscle control to keep them rigid or folded into the body. A bit like the way a strip of metal will eventually break from fatigue if you bend it back and forth repeatedly. Clothing is also ripped away in most cases.

There have been a very small number of documented cases of individuals surviving such incident but they are definately the exception.

Seems unlikely to me, but I suppose there is an outside chance your limbs might shake off. Your terminal velocity would of course be lower than "hundreds of miles an hour" at lower altitudes, and at higher elevations would be greater because the atmosphere is thinner, but drag forces would also be less at height and I can't be arsed to do the calculations.

[Churchill]

Seems unlikely to me, but I suppose there is an outside chance your limbs might shake off. Your terminal velocity would of course be lower than "hundreds of miles an hour" at lower altitudes, and at higher elevations would be greater because the atmosphere is thinner, but drag forces would also be less at height and I can't be arsed to do the calculations.

I think DaveB meant the velocity after the aircraft disintegrated, not due to gravity - 120mph(ish).

[expat]

I think DaveB meant the velocity after the aircraft disintegrated, not due to gravity - 120mph(ish).

Indeed, the deceleration to terminal (!) velocity would itself be uncomfortable. I imagine that in a disintegrating aeroplane there would also be lots of debris to tear clothing and limbs.