I survived falling 150 feet

As told to Megan Messerly

Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015 | 2 a.m.

It was like any other day. We started with a quick, informal meeting about what we were doing, working on a rehaul of the MGM Grand sign.

I was inside the sign, surrounded by four walls with a catwalk above me and a catwalk below me. It was my job to make sure everything was ready to come down.

By about 9:30 a.m., I had been in there a couple of hours, and we were getting close to the end. We were chitchatting about going home, and that’s what was on my mind — getting off of work soon.

They had just cut one of the last attachment points to the main structure, but it wasn’t budging very much. I remember we were trying to find where to cut it with the torch, and I remember handing off a torch. But that’s the last thing I remember.

I fell 150 feet, from about halfway up the sign. They said I stepped off the catwalk onto the skin of the sign that’s sheet metal and plastic. I don’t think I would do something that stupid. I’m assuming maybe I was reaching for something. The guys on the ground said there was a loud metal-on-metal noise and they saw some debris falling — me falling — then more debris falling.

The palm tree I hit first was a 20-footer. I broke a lot of that. Then I hit an 8-foot palm tree. They say I killed it, because it died. Then I hit the dirt. I fell within inches of the stage of a motorized platform. It was aluminum. If I hit that, I would have had more severe head trauma and internal bleeding in my brain.

I remember being at UMC and being out of it. Things seemed really, really fuzzy. I figured I was in a hospital, but they told me I asked several times, “What am I doing here?” They told me, and I said, “No, that’s not why I’m here.” I was in disbelief.

I had a hard time keeping track of days, from what the doctor told me. I was giving them the wrong day and the wrong year.

I had told my buddies before, if anybody ever falls, they’re going to die. But everything with the fall happened just right. I broke my leg perfectly. I broke my back perfectly. I was so messed up physically. But mentally, I felt pretty normal. I was expecting to have a full recovery, but it’s not going to be. My body has titanium now. I’m never going to be the same. I can’t do my job the way I used to, so I might have to find different work. I don’t feel my longevity at work is going to be there anymore. I probably have 10 years in me, but if it’s hard labor, I probably have five. I’ll wear out quick. That’s what I’m worried about now.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be afraid of heights, but mentally, I don’t have any effects. I doubt that I would be able to climb around like a little monkey, but I can be close to the edge, doing what I do for work.