Stephen Ellison

Skydiver Loses Prosthetic Leg Midair Then Gets It Back Undamaged

Dion Calloway lost his natural left leg two years ago during a skydiving accident. He was 10,000 feet in the air Sunday when his prosthetic leg fell off then landed in a pile of sawdust

When skydiver Dion Calloway's prosthetic leg came loose at 10,000 feet then fell to earth in Sonoma County on Sunday, he figured he had lost his left leg for a second time.

Calloway, of Santa Rosa, was laughing on Monday night, amazed that his $15,000 prosthetic leg looks exactly like it did before he and some friends went skydiving in Cloverdale. 

"It doesn’t look like it’s damaged at all," he said.

Calloway recounted what happened: "Right out the door, I felt it loosen up. It came off about six inches. I reached back and put it back on and thought it would stay. I flew up to the circle, and I watched it take off."

Off and lost forever. Or so Calloway thought.

Fortunately, the leg happened to land on top of a somewhat forgiving pile of sawdust at a lumber yard right next door to the airport. An employee on Monday told deputies a man with a prosthetic leg had jumped the day before.

Calloway lost his natural left leg two years ago during a skydiving accident.

"What I tried to do was like a high-speed landing and just messed up," he recalled. "I came in too low, too fast. I exploded the heel."

When asked if he’d ever go skydiving again, Calloway replied: "Yep. Absolutely. Next weekend."

During his next jump, Callaway said he’ll be taking precautions to keep his wits and his leg about him.

"The owner of Norcal Skydiving built a tether that basically goes around my waist, around the leg here and then around the lower leg," he explained.

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