[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 105 (Wednesday, July 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING BRUNO SCHUSTEK

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BILL FOSTER

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 8, 2015

  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication of 
the Schustek Pond in the Village of Willowbrook, Illinois.
  On July 6, 1930, the wealthy heiress Mary ``Merry'' Fahrney decided 
to try her hand at skydiving for the first time without any prior 
training or a qualified instructor to assist her. Upon exiting the 
airplane her parachute became entangled on the plane's wing, leaving 
her helplessly suspended hundreds of feet above the ground for over two 
hours. Charles Geiger and Bruno Schustek witnessed Fahrney's 
predicament from the ground and decided to assist her. When he reached 
Farhney's plane, Schustek climbed out of his own airplane, down a rope, 
and onto the wing of her aircraft freeing her parachute and allowing 
Merry to glide safely to the ground. Unfortunately, Schustek was unable 
to climb back into his plane and fell to his death.
  Eighty-five years to the day after Bruno Schustek's death, the North 
American Spine Society unveiled a new plaque in his honor. Decades 
after his heroic act, Schustek's memory lives on thanks to Maria R. 
Traska, Joseph Kubal and Keith Yearman, amateur historians who 
discovered and publicized Schustek's story. With the dedication of the 
Schustek Pond, his selfless actions will continue to inspire and remind 
us of his sacrifice.

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