Teenager thrown 25 feet in air from Jeep grabs overhead wires until rescued

AP via Boston Glob ^ | 1/28/2003 15:55 | Margaret Stafford, Associated Press

[CFW]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A teenager was catapulted at least 25 feet in the air during an auto accident but grabbed onto overhead utility wires like an action hero and dangled for about 20 minutes before a rescue crew brought him down by ladder.

[gas_dr]

Shocking...

[Xenalyte]

The Jeep's fiberglass top was ripped off, and Thompson, who was not wearing a seat belt, flew through the air, bouncing off three power lines and falling onto what he thinks was a telephone wire and grounding wire.

Just wanted to point that out.

[mhking]

...Does whatever a spider can...

"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....

If you want on or off this list, please let me know!

[r9etb]

Shaking my head and chuckling in disbelief.

Here's a guy whose time was definitely not up....

[SouthernFreebird]

''We asked him how long he could hold on, and he said, `I can hold on as long as it takes.'

ROTFL

[cricket]

"Shocking..."

. . .incredibly fortunate that it was not!

. . .amazing story. . .

[r9etb]

Sounds like he caught those lines on the way down! He must have been going pretty damned fast if his rolling jeep can toss him over 25 feet up (and who knows how far horizontally...).

[CFW]

''We asked him how long he could hold on, and he said, `I can hold on as long as it takes.' His arms were turning blue because it was cold, but otherwise he was fine,'' the elder Thompson said. ''And don't forget, this is a great story to remind people to wear seat belts.''

His father pointed it out as well. I know it was scary for all involved, but can you just picture the scene? Kinda hafta chuckle (after the fact of course).

[Freedom2specul8]

This was a local story.. you should have seen the pictures.

[r9etb]

Uh, if God was really in control, wouldn't the accident have been avoided in the first place?

Perhaps God felt he needed to send Joe a little message....

[r9etb]

That boy's holding on tight!

[arthurus]

And if he had been wearing that seatbelt he likely would have been crushed after the top came off the Jeep. eatbelts are normally much safer than no seat belts but there is always an exception or two.

[RCW2001]

I heard this reported on the radio. That report claims he called his dad from his cellphone while 'hanging from the wires'...

Could you imagine trying to convince your dad that you are 'dangling from powerlines' and that it was for real?

[Just mythoughts]

The Boston Globe has alot of nerve reporting on Missouri driving, considering how driving is done there.

While visiting the Boston area was advised not to make eye contact with other drivers and do not drive a new car. This was before they started mining for "gold" with the "Big Dig".

[Xenalyte]

Don't Jeeps have roll bars on top so they won't collapse?

[r9etb]

And if he had been wearing that seatbelt he likely would have been crushed after the top came off the Jeep.

Picture says otherwise. I still wanna know how fast a jeep has to be rolling to toss a guy that high in the air.

[Auntbee]

It was also reported that he had his Bible in the front seat with him.

[CFW]

Could you imagine trying to convince your dad that you are 'dangling from powerlines' and that it was for real?

It would definitely be an interesting conversation. My first question would be, "Son, didn't your Dad tell you not to do that because powerlines are dangerous?"