PLEASE NOTE:  NOT EVERYONE IN A WHEELCHAIR WILL BE ABLE TO BUNGY JUMP.  THIS DECISION IS AT THE DESCREATION OF MANAGEMENT.

I met Graham at the AJ Hackett shop at 10am, the site controller I’ve been organizing the jump with.  He drove me to the jump site, Kawarau Bridge, in a company pickup truck that I was easily able to transfer to the passenger seat.  They normally take the jumpers on a big passenger bus that I would not have been able to get on without a lot of help.  It was about a 15 minute drive to the bridge.  The entrance is accessible with an elevator to the check in level.  I met Mark, the jump controller, to talk about my injury and what I will feel during the jump.  I will be in a harness when I jump and not hooked up by the feet.  After checking in, Mark and Graham helped me to the bridge.  There are 2 sets of 10 steps up to the bridge.  They carried me up in my chair one in front and one behind me.  Not the way I like being carried up steps but I felt safe.  There is a patch of loose gravel from the top of the steps to the bridge that I needed help from Graham to get through.  Once on the bridge it was easy to wheel to the area to get the harness on.  Graham and another jump controller helped get the harness on me.  I had to transfer from my chair down to the bridge, then with help, move to the area to get the bungy hooked up to the harness.  Next, I was moved to the jump ledge.  I was not nervous at any time getting ready or sitting on the jump ledge, time to jump or in my case roll forward off the ledge.  The Kawarau Bridge jump is the original bungy jump at 43 meters high.  It was a nice adrenaline rush during the free fall but nothing like skydiving.  After the jump, they sent down a rope that I hooked to the harness and I was pulled back to the top by a wench.  They have a boat on the river that they unhook the other jumpers but there is a long set of steps to walk back up to the bridge.  Graham and the entire crew at AJ Hackett were exceptional.  I felt safe the entire time. (Video of bungy jump, photos of bungy jump)