Throwback Thursday: Accidentally Airborne

Five-year-old Will spent all spring building up the nerve to jump off a moving swing. He finally felt ready one summer afternoon in Wisconsin, so he asked me to set up on a nearby park bench and capture his first attempt on video.

My dad had been playing with Hallie elsewhere on the playground, so he had no knowledge of Will's plan to jump off the swing in mid-air. When he saw Will swinging from afar, my dad decided to sneak up on Will and surprise him with an under duck.

Can you tell where this is going?

The two plans - Will's to jump off the swing and my dad's to give Will a surprise under duck - combined to create a terrifying moment for all three of us. At the exact moment my dad administered his under duck, Will released himself from the swing and soared into the air thanks to the force of the unexpected push.

You can see my dad running up behind Will, as well as the moment Will begins to fly through the air…and then I scream and drop the my phone, only picking it up again after Will has landed and as my dad is picking him up off the ground.

Thankfully, no one was seriously injured in the making of this video. We have a rule about announcing under ducks now though...