Miracle survival left legacy of pain

Shane Paniora is one of the few people in the world who knows just how Michael Holmes feels.
Both men are skydivers who miraculously survived plunging to earth after their parachutes failed.
This week, Mr Holmes told his story to the world for the first time after falling 4.5km to earth on December 13 last year in Taupo.
He had sold his story to overseas media in a deal reportedly worth more than $40,000.
Whilst he and Mr Paniora have shared a unique experience, their post-fall experiences have been far different.
Mr Holmes has recovered from his fall with minimal injuries, and plans to skydive again soon.
Mr Paniora, a former Rotorua man who now lives in Kawerau, broke his back in his 3.6km fall in April 2000, and later lost a leg after post-operative complications.
There was no media frenzy or bidding war for his story, and he has been on ACC for seven years.

Mr Paniora crash-landed in a swamp at the southern end of Rotorua Airport.
He still suffers chronic back pain and is having trouble having a prosthetic leg fitted.
"That's pretty hard. [Mr Holmes] can go back to his job - I can't. Good on him though. I just get on with it," he said.
Mr Paniora managed to pull his reserve chute just before plummeting into the swamp, where he was buried in the mud.
He feels lucky to have survived after other jumpers resuscitated him.
"People have died from lesser heights. You die from falling just a few metres. If I'd hit water or the runway I know I would have been killed. It was the mud that saved me."
While most people's lives would have flashed before them in slow motion, Mr Paniora said he didn't have time to think about anything but getting his chute open.
Serving in the New Zealand Army and following several tours overseas including Bosnia, his attitude and training was what got him through his ordeal.
"They teach you to adapt and overcome."
However, he does say skydiving is a safe sport and if his gear hadn't been damaged in the accident, he'd be back in the sky.
NZone skydiver Keith Gallaher was the chief safety officer on the ground during Mr Paniora's jump and watched the scene unfold seven years ago.
He said Mr Paniora was a lucky man.
"He just opened his reserve chute too late. It could have easily been a fatality."
As for the media frenzy around the Taupo man, he doesn't think it helps much.
"The investigation into what happened hasn't been finished yet. It's not the best sort of publicity for the industry," he said.