Louisville man learns to walk again after surviving skydiving accident

A man fell thousands of feet into a Hardin County field this month after his parachute became tangled while skydiving. Doctors say his survival is nothing short of incredible. From the moment he walks into the room, it’s clear Phoenix McWilliams is a fighter. With his sister behind him and his nurse by his side, McWilliams is determined to learn to walk again. Thursday marks his third day of physical therapy at UofL Health’s Frazier Rehab, just 11 days after his accident. McWilliams said he was trying to stay calm when his parachute became tangled. “When you’re up there trying to survive, a lot goes through your mind,” McWilliams said. Moments later, he plummeted into a field. A little girl heard his cries for help and rushed to her parents. McWilliams remembers her mother running to him and her telling me, ‘We’re going to sit here and pray, and my husband is going to get help, and we’re going to pray until somebody comes.’ His first jump was from 4,200 feet, and it wasn’t until he was about 1,000 feet up that he realized his backup parachute wasn’t an option. “It’s an absolute miracle. I’m beyond surprised he doesn’t have more serious injuries than he honestly said,” said Dr. Joshua Heath of Frazier Rehab. Heath attributes his patient’s survival in part to his condition and the progress he has made to his positive attitude. Meeka McWilliams is grateful to her brother’s team and the Hardin County family who rushed to help. She hopes to track them down. “For him to fall out of the sky in the middle of nowhere and for people to come to his aid immediately is unbelievable. I want to thank them not just for me, but for my whole family. If they hadn’t found him, who knows where we’d be now,” McWilliams said. But now, less than two weeks later, her brother is on the mend and determined not to leave the hospital in a wheelchair. “I think it’s just important to be able to walk – period. I’m just happy to be able to walk,” Phoenix McWilliams said. Doctors say if his condition continues to improve, he could be released from Frazier as early as July 10. Anyone with information about the family that helped McWilliams is asked to email Lauren Adams at [email protected].