Commemorative skydive could become tradition

Even though it was a claustrophobic ride into the air, akin to what a sardine might feel packed into a can, Dave Sheldon has no regrets about his 9/11 skydiving adventure.

"I said, from the movie 'Jaws,' 'We’re going to need a bigger plane,'" Sheldon said Tuesday. "Then when we were taking off, 'We need more runway for Dave!'"

"I haven’t been that compact since I was in my mommy’s womb. They had me all scrunched up," he added.

Sheldon, a Navy veteran and Hayden resident, was pleased to report that his fundraising journey raised $2,075 for 9/11 Health Watch and $1,080 for Newby-Ginnings of North Idaho. He presented the check to Newby-Ginnings founder and good friend Theresa Hart on Monday.

Sheldon jumped with Hart's son, Nathan Newby, and wore the dog tags belonging to her other son, SPC. Nick Newby, who was killed in Iraq in 2011.

"I kept my hand against my chest and protected those," Sheldon said.

He also was perhaps protecting his sternum. Sheldon made the leap of faith just three months after open heart surgery.

Sheldon decided to embark on this fundraising campaign to raise funds for 9/11 survivors through Health Watch and for local veterans through Hart's nonprofit. He came to the conclusion after he had two consecutive heart attacks in June.

"When I got out to the door of the plane, when they opened the door and I was right against the door and they opened it up, it's like, 'Holy cow,'" he said. "You’re basically sitting in the door of an airplane and looking down 10,000 feet. It's like, 'Dude, this just got real.'"

Putting his trust in the skydiving experts at DZONE Skydiving, Sheldon rolled out of the plane strapped to DZONE owner Jeremy Divan.

"Through the free fall, you know you’re hauling butt, but I’m looking around, and I was smiling, and it was cool, but when the chute opened, it was like, 'Wham!' It’s almost like an abrupt stop," Sheldon said. "Then it’s super quiet. It goes from loud, all that air rushing past, and all of a sudden you’re floating."

Nathan and Sheldon landed fine, but Sheldon's good friend Gary Pomeroy, who jumped in honor of his late sister before the others, thought he sprained his ankle when he landed. Sheldon said it ended up being a spiral break, and Pomeroy had to undergo surgery and have screws put in his leg following the jump.

"I took him to the doctor a couple days later and they figured they were going to put a cast on it," Sheldon said. "When he came out it was like, 'No cast, I have to have surgery,' and then he showed a picture of the X-rays."

Sheldon expressed his sincere thanks to those who contributed to the funds, and a big "get well soon" for Pomeroy. He said he plans to do a fundraising 9/11 jump again next year.

"Oh, heck yeah," Sheldon said. "It was pretty special, you know?"