It's not Florida man's fault he gets picked on so much. Experts say Florida man is no better or worse than Texas man or Illinois man. It's just the Sunshine State has unique public records laws, so the public gets more insight into his crazy hijinks. But just when you think it's unfair, a video like this one comes out.
In the video, a Florida man named Christopher James Sikes Smalley falls some 60 feet while attempting to dive from a tree at a swimming hole in Vernon, Florida. The video shows Smalley, wearing a t-shirt, baggy shorts, and GoPro, balancing on a rather weak branch while holding another weak branch above.
Then, all of a sudden, the branch beneath his feet collapses. As he falls, his legs catch on the much sturdier branch below him and he begins to flip uncontrollably into the water below. Fortunately, he lands in the clear water below.
In an interview with reporters, Smalley explained that he would usually jump from a smaller branch lower on the tree. "The fall was crazy. I knew when I heard the branch crack that it just got real and I was going down," Smalley said. "It was the first time at that height. I jump from the branch I hit on the way down all the time."
According to reports, Smalley only suffered bruising on his legs and foot. Luckily, he did not break or fracture any bones.
How dangerous was Florida mans' fall?
Needless to say, falling can be dangerous. Experts say falling from a height as high as 10 feet could be fatal. The impact force alone is enough to cause internal organ damage and other severe trauma. However, there are numerous variables to consider.
In Smalley's case, he landed in water, which likely cushioned the impact. Still, there are cases of people falling from greater heights on the ground and surviving. But how exactly? Experts say it largely depends on how you land.
Experts explained to Live Science that if you fall from a great height, but land on a slope, for example, you would have a greater chance of surviving rather than stopping abruptly on flat ground. The reason is you would gradually slow down rather than absorb the full amount of energy.
Other factors to consider are what part of your body you land on, your physical conditioning, and weight. A small child, for instance, would have a better chance of survival than a heavy adult.
