Minn. Man Celebrates 90th Birthday By Skydiving
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Have you ever thought about how you would celebrate your 90th birthday? The way Cocato native Carl Morris celebrated his may have you re-planning your party.
Two weeks ago, Morris blew out the candles on his birthday cake. But our soggy weather delayed his birthday wish.
Monday afternoon, surrounded by four generations of family, his wish for a 10th chance to skydive came true.
"I don't think he's crazy," nephew Myron Morris said. "It's something he's wanted to do and decided he was going to do it. We didn't want to miss it."
Morris first skydived in Japan in 1946 as part of the 11th Airborne Division. He parachuted eight more times while in the Army. The last was a decade ago.
Before the jump, Morris admitted he was trying to shake his nerves.
"I'm a little more nervous now that I was on my 80th. But I've always said, if I made it to 90, I'd make another jump. So this is it," he said.
As the plane took off for the clouds, the other jumpers inside sang Happy Birthday to mark the occasion.
From 13,000 feet in the air, Morris made the stomach-turning leap of faith. He enjoyed one minute of free fall, followed by a six-minute drift back to the ground.
With shaky knees, Morris declared to his family this would be the final skydive.
"I've done crazy things, but this takes the cake," he laughed.
