When the story is good don't over hype it

Two days ago I read about the skydiver whose coach in the tandem jump died of a heart attack.  My initial reaction was "Wow, I don't think I could have reached the cord to pull the chute in my tandem jumps."  Then I learned that the parachute had already been deployed.  I still would have been scared shitless but the difference between freefall and floating down after the chute's deployed is the difference from riding a bullet and walking in the park.

Regardless, the BBC reported the story with this line:

Instructors on the ground said that if he had pulled too hard the parachute may have spun out of control, and he too could have died.

Umm, maybe, but highly unlikely.  

Think about it.  Your floating down to earth.  You realize your instructor is unconscious.  Why, oh why, would you pull on just one side?  And, for the record, in tandem jumps they do have you pull on just one side because it is a really fun spin you go into to... but if my instructor was unconscious I probably would have skipped the fun.

If the guy was not bright enough to remember the training to "Pull-pull-pull" right before landing he might have been in for a hard touchdown but life threatening?  No.

I will never understand the need for the press or acquaintances to hype a story when the truth is good enough:  "Parachutist lands successfully after his instructor dies" simply doesn't need hype in my world.