The Photographer Who Got Speared by a Javelin Kept His Reporter Hat On
Brace yourself.
This is a photo of Ogden Standard-Examiner photographer Ryan McGeeney. With a javelin spear through his leg.
(Click for larger version)
It landed there during the Utah state high school track tournament, with student Anthony Miles behind the throw. McGeeney, an ex-Marine who completed a six month tour in Afghanistan, did what any experienced news photog would: He got out his camera and snapped away. (No matter than it was probably McGeeney's fault; he's said to have wandered into an off-limits area.) [AP]
The spear went through one part of the leg and exited another. Most of the javelin was removed at the scene, the rest at the hospital, and McGeeney is recovering nicely.
Miles, meanwhile, went on to win the state title.
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Glad your ok. I saw you on the Today Show and wondered if we are related. All the McGeeney's I know are either in Pittsburgh, Pa. or Baltimore, Md. Any chance we are related? Just curious, because I have never seen the name McGeeney of anyone I wasn't related to.
I'm sorry for what happened, but I use to throw javelin and I don't know how many times we would have to stop our event to get people to look or pay attention especially on a windy day…you never know where it'll end up. I would yell at reporters and coaches of different events to watch out or move or don't stand out in our field when we are throwing. Reporters would stand 170 ft out there to take a pic and then turn around and snap a shot of the triple jumpers. I'm just glad nobody was killed. Because of people like this, our event is limited to certain states and half the time we have to throw in a field a million miles from the main area where the crowd is. Stinks that we can get the same excitement for our event because of others. Please be aware out there at all times tracksters, reporters, fans, etc!!