A Kelowna blood donor was able to give back the lifesaving support he received after a parachuting accident that happened 41 years ago.
On Thursday, Robert Greig made his 31st donation, matching the number of blood units he received after the crash.
It’s been more than four decades but Greig still has a detailed memory of the accident.
Another skydiver became tangled in his canopy. He remembered hitting the ground at over 100 km/h and suffering serious injuries, including a broken femur.
“The dirt was worked up 15 inches deep and they said I was sitting in a rut nine inches deep,” Greig recalled.
“By the grace of God go I.”
The Kelowna man said he will continue to donate.
“I always have it in the back of my mind, if people hadn’t given, I wouldn’t be here. It’s just special in that way,” Greig said.
Canadian Blood Services hopes Greig’s story inspires others to consider blood donation as a way to give back.
“It is kind of an emotional day for him I think because without the blood that he received he wouldn’t be here,” said Gayle Voyer with Canadian Blood Services.