Jump or Die

Title: Jump or Die

Reader Digest 2008, pg 56 to 62

Done by: Eugene Ong(22) 3E


Tom Murphy got off the chairlift and jumped for joy. Dazzling virgin snow and alphine peaks stretched in every direction. It was March 2 last year, which was last day of Tom's holiday at the French ski resort of Les Deux Alphes. He plumber from South London had got up early and left his travelling companion sleeping off last nght's beer and headed up the mountains alone. A smooth black rock loomed ahead and he dug glved fingers into a crevice. Dangling face down, he watched the avalanche roar like a breaking wave down the valley.

He looked up. The avalanche had carried him hundreds of yards . Nearly all the snow had been stripped away, leaving a narrow valley of bare rock. No way could he go back. Tom took one hand off the rock and brought the walkie-talkie out of his pocket and requested for help but no on answered to his call for help. He tooked out his mobile phone but did not have signal. He then saw a road at the bottom ofthe valley and at tha time he had to choose two decision. Either he stay at his current place and wait for rescue or to challenge himself to slide down the valley which was the most extreme ride he had ever done before.

He slided down the valley and in 15 mins time, he had descended some 1300 feet. Ahead he saw the road again, now closer. Bu the bulge of the rock hid what was directly below. Quickly, he came to a ledge. This drop seemed extreme high and he counted to five and prayed before he jumped down. Though inflicted major injury, he isnot dead. Finally he got rescued after struggling many obstacles.

REFLECTION

I think that Tom was very lucky as he did not die eventually. However, what he did was extremely dangerous. He did not went up te mountains with his travelling companions and it was not wise to travel alone in the mountains as he would get lost easily. He was lucky survived the drops he made from ledge to ledge. He only major injuries but soon recovered when he was saved. He had made the right choice in makeing him survive. He had two choices to make that is to jump or die. If he chose to stay at his current position, he would be frozen to death and nobody would save him as his communication tools are not working. He chose to jump down ledge which lead him to the road and to be save by motorist happening to be travelling on that road. He had made him chances of surviving higher by choosing the correct decision. He was save eventually.


Fire™