North Carolina woman survived 14,500-foot fall and 200+ fire-ant stings

In September 1999, Joan Murray, a 47-year-old Bank of America executive from Charlotte, North Carolina, survived a skydiving accident that left her with devastating injuries. She had jumped from about 14,500 feet when her main parachute failed to open. Her reserve parachute deployed at roughly 700 feet but soon lost its effectiveness. Murray then struck the ground at around 80 mph. She landed on a mound of fire ants and was stung hundreds of times while seriously injured. Murray later said doctors believed the ant stings could have contributed to her survival, although the exact medical explanation was never established. She spent about 15 days in a coma and underwent extensive treatment before eventually returning to skydiving.North Carolina woman’s 14,500-foot jump turned into a fight for survivalMurray had already made numerous jumps before the accident. Accounts from the time put her previous experience at roughly 30 to 35 skydives. On September 25, 1999, she boarded a plane for another jump in the Chester County area of South Carolina. She left the aircraft at about 14,500 feet and initially had a normal descent. The danger began when she tried to deploy her main parachute. It...