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Grandmother Defends Skydiving Instructor Despite FAA Fine For Safety Violation

ACAMPO (CBS13) - Unforgettable video showed a grandmother nearly slipping out of her harness while skydiving. Her instructor is being fined for the incident, and it's not the first infraction levied against the sky diving center.

That now infamous skydiving video was taken high above Acampo's Parachute Center. It's heart-pumping video that went viral. Laverne Everett, 81, was on her first skydive when she started slipping out of the top of her harness, dangling upside down while her tandem instructor tried to keep her from falling out.

"Well, he just fixed me up, you know, in my jump suit," Laverne said Monday with a chuckle.

But while Laverne is very fond of her parachute instructor, Dennis McGlynn, the FAA felt differently after reviewing the video. The agency is fining McGlynn $2,200 for allegedly improperly tightening Laverne's harness, which therefore "increased the likelihood the student parachutist would slip from the harness, and free-fall to the ground."

But Laverne says the thought of punishing McGlynn is simply ridiculous.

"He's a hero. He ought to be," she said. "They ought to be giving him money so to speak."

She says McGlynn did everything he could to hold her in place until they landed.

McGlynn has avoided the media all along until Monday when CBS13 tracked him down outside his Auburn home.

"It's coming, but not today," he said when asked to comment on the fine.

While McGlynn didn't want to speak, Laverne spoke strongly in his defense.

"Regardless of what was done, or he didn't do, or anything, he saved my life, and there is no way I'm going to say anything against him," she said.

McGlynn has 30 days to request an appeal hearing with the FAA.

The FAA has proposed two other fines against the Parachute Center in Acampo for flying planes that were not in compliance with federal aviation regulations.

The two fines combined would be nearly $1 million dollars.

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