There Goes Africa

SteveConroy84

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There Goes Africa 8-22-2019



SNAP!!!!


“Shit” I said to myself as I tumbled to the ground. I looked down at my right foot. It didn’t look normal at all. The toes weren’t pointing to the 12 o’clock position as you usually see when looking at your feet. Instead the toes of my right foot were pointed to the 3 o’clock. “Thats definitely broken. There goes Africa.”


I was scheduled to fly to Tanzania and meet up with Nathan Askew of Bullet Safaris on June 3rd, 2019. The breaking of my leg on happened on June 1, 2019. Nathan had accepted to take me on as an apprentice a few months prior. I started texting a message to him while riding in the back of the ambulance. I was fighting back tears as I sent the text. The tears weren’t from pain of the injury, but from my dream of becoming a PH being lost or at the very least being set back a year.


“Well Mr. Conroy, you did a pretty good job at breaking your leg.” The ER doctor said as he walked in with x-rays. “You broke your fibula and tibia in 3 places and dislocated your ankle. You’re definitely going to need surgery.”



“Dammit, I was supposed to head to Africa on Monday.” I said visibly angry.


“The only place you’re headed is to bed rest for the next 1 to 2 months.”


Jumping out of airplanes and BASE jumping had finally caught up with me. I had been Airborne, Airborne Jumpmaster, Freefall, Tandem Instructor, AFF Instructor and PRO rated both in the military and as a civilian. After 7 years and 3000 jumps a simple bad landing was keeping me from my life long dream.





Nathan asked me to start writing a few things and posting it to AH. The intent is to brush up on my poor writing skills, share some information on my life that some of the members of this website may find interesting, and to hopefully attract some potential clients who would like to hunt with me in the future. This was a trial. I hope in future writings I’ll be able to share my experiences as a United States Marine, Hollywood stuntman, professional skydiver, commercial pilot, and security contractor. Please be brutally honest with me, I can take it.


Steve Conroy
 
Welcome Steve. Sorry for your injury, thank you for your service and good luck getting back to your dream. It is a worthwhile dream!
 
Sorry to hear of your unfortunate situation. Yep since you’ve been on here, you haven’t written any reports! I see you’ve had some interesting guns for sale. So, I agree with Nathan that you need to write up some of your adventures.
 
Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes? What could possibly go wrong with that idea? ;) In all seriousness, I enjoyed your first foray into story telling, so I think the future is bright. Good luck.
 
Welcome aboard.

Your story reminds me of a Lab Analyst who worked for me 20 years ago.

Former Marine who loved to base jump.

Second time he busted himself up, I had a nice Marine to Marine talk with him. Said I needed him healthy and at work, not laid up 3 months of every year. Next time he base jumped I would do everything I could to get his butt fired!

There is a point where your hobby can unreasonably endanger your career and a choice has to be made.

I'm glad to say my Analyst hung up his chute.
 
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So WTF is a "simple bad landing"?

Good luck with your recovery.
 

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Giday Steve and welcome to the A H forums
 
Hello and welcome Steve. Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but it sounds like Nathan is hanging in there with you as long as you do your part. So far I’d say you write well enough. Looking forward to hearing more about your life adventures.
Better make it good! Your Boss may be watching! :E Lol:
 
Sorry for the bum ankle! I fee your pain, I’ve broken both mine! Although mine wasn’t from jumping from airplanes. Hope you heal quickly!
 
Jumping out of perfectly good airplanes? What could possibly go wrong with that idea? ;) In all seriousness, I enjoyed your first foray into story telling, so I think the future is bright. Good luck.

Beat me to it.....Yup jumping out of perfectly good airplanes voluntarily.... Never can get it.....:D
 
And Steve hope you get sorted asap and can start for next season :D Beers:.......jumping off the back of a cruiser should maybe be the maximum height you stick to from now on.....;):D

Just looked at your profile picture..... And I take it's you dangling from the helicopter....... :E Scared:.......don't like heights so not in a month of Sundays would you get me there.......would much prefer following a wounded leopard with shotgun and buckshot.... :whistle::D
 
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Welcome and sorry this happened to you!
 
Welcome Steve...and best wishes for your recovery. Now, about this jumping out of perfectly good airplanes: after 53 years and some 31,000 hours of flying lots of different airplanes I never found need to jump out of any of them! Perhaps this might make you think about it next time....awe, heck....go do it again when your leg heals....you got two of them anyway....get one of the trackers to wheel you through the bush in your custom chair while you sit back and relax....now you got it made.
All the above is tongue in cheek...get well soon and write more.
 
LOL. Several beat me to it about jumping out of good planes for fun! Never felt the need. But I do hope you recover soon and can catch that dream, it should be worth it. Good luck!!
 
Welcome aboard Steve. Sorry you got hurt, but the key question is how is the recovery going? You would hardly be the first guy that broke a leg and went on to lead a very fulfilling life.
 
The paramedic in me really wants to see those x rays. Pictures always make writing better!
 
Welcome to AH Steve !

About 11 years ago, I hurt my knee jumping out the back of a bakkie in SA :E Wounded:
 
Unfortunately I know first-hand what you are going through. I had to have a previously fractured hip replaced prior to my scheduled 2016 safari. I had to postpone it to 2017, and was still nursing it while on my hunt.

Although I have never based jumped, I am airborne, air assault, and know enough about choppers to fly and land them, areo scout, OH-58 and Hueys. And once upon a time hang glidder qualified.

Obviously those who have felt the turbulence and heard the roaring engines of a C130 or C123, will never know the desire of wanting to jump out of a "prefectly good plane". :A Yell::A Big Hello::ROFLMAO:

C141's and choppers weren't as bad, noise and turbulence, but a lot more fun to parachute out of.

Having only logged 140 jumps, military (mostly) and sport, and only 20 chopper repels, 8 from Blackhawks. I understand the thrill.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery, with no lingering mobility problems.

Army Vet to Marine Vet Thank You for your service.
 

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