Newport News, Va. – A Sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln earned himself a place among world record holders after he successfully smashed 12 pine boards with his hand while free falling 16,000 feet at about 120 mph.
Information Systems Technician 1st Class Ernie Torres is an accelerated free-fall instructor who has been at his craft for 9 years and has conducted 700 jumps throughout his career.
He says he did not do this for recognition, but he did this to bring awareness to the Wounded Warrior Project.
“I know the news of the record went worldwide,” said Torres. “My goal was to raise awareness for the organization through the attempt and now record breaking event.”
Torres says although he was focused on breaking the record, he always kept safety first.
“Many think that jumping out of a plane is crazy enough without involving the board breaking but they should know that safety is always the number one priority in any skydiving operation,” said Torres who thanked everyone involved in making the record breaking jump a reality. “There was an extensive process of planning the jump to ensure the safety of everyone involved. Operational Risk Management is not just a Navy thing and it’s not just for work. Everyone got back to the ground safely, with no injuries and now I can proudly say I hold a Guinness World Record.”
