A 59-year-old skydiver was found safe after an off-course landing in a wooded area near Ovid on September 5 following an intensive search. According to the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to Parish Road at approximately 7:57 p.m. after receiving reports that Mary A. Joslyn, of Romulus, had gone missing during her jump due to strong winds.
Joslyn, who had been participating in her seventh skydive and third solo jump, described the initial descent as smooth, but conditions changed quickly. “I was over the drop zone and lined up perfectly for another bullseye landing, but instead of going forward, I just kept hovering in place or slowly drifting backwards. It seemed the wind had other plans for my landing,” she said.
Unable to return to the designated landing area, Joslyn followed her training and looked for a safe spot to land, ultimately choosing a soybean field over nearby cornfields. “The soybeans looked much softer than the corn, but from above, it’s difficult to judge how deep it is. In the end, I flared and took a spill with the soybeans grabbing and tangling around my feet,” she added.
Despite the hard landing, which resulted in a broken ankle, Joslyn remained calm and began looking for ways to make herself visible to rescuers. She waved cornstalks and spread out her parachute in an attempt to signal search teams, but darkness was quickly falling. “I wondered how on earth anyone would find me in the dark,” she said, as multiple agencies, including local fire departments, New York State Police, and Seneca County Emergency Management, searched the area.
Determined to reach safety, Joslyn began hobbling through the dense soybean and cornfields. “I was quite sure I couldn’t walk on my right foot, but I just had to keep going. I started thinking about wounded soldiers and people who have to push through even when it hurts,” she said. After about two hours of navigating the fields, Joslyn made it to a road, where she was spotted by a passing truck.
The driver, realizing she was the missing skydiver, quickly alerted rescuers. Joslyn was transported to the airport, where she was greeted by her husband and dozens of emergency personnel. Reflecting on the ordeal, Joslyn expressed her deep gratitude. “I’m so sorry to have scared everyone, and I’m very thankful for all the prayers. The folks at Skydive Seneca Lake tell me I did exactly the right thing.”
Joslyn suffered a broken ankle but emphasized her appreciation for the first responders and volunteers involved in the search. Despite the incident, Joslyn remains grateful for the experience and the stunning views of her freefall over the Finger Lakes.
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