FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — On Thursday, a Fort Wayne man finishes his bucket list. As George “Gene” Haines skydived with his grandson.

Gene has seen heights in a hot air balloon and survived the waves with white water rafting, but the dive remained on the list … until now.

The idea to skydive did not come out of thin air, as Gene is a resident of Cedarhurst of Fort Wayne. One day, Cedarhurst asked residents to jot down any wishes they had and put them in the fishbowl.

His skydiving wish was pulled from the fishbowl a few weeks later. Which ensued a long process to see if his dream could become a reality. After ‘A Wish of a Lifetime’ accepted his request it was time for the plane ride.

Gene was excited to complete his list and skydive.

“I am ready to go,” he said minutes before boarding. He was not nervous … until he boarded the plane. Nonetheless, Gene was smiling the entire time and expressing his pure excitement for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Friends and family watched his adventure via Zoom at home.

Gene’s grandson is a Green Beret and was flown into Fort Wayne for this special dive. They have not seen each other since December 2022, making this special dive, extra special.

The dive was held with Skydive Indianapolis.

Seconds after landing, Gene was grinning ear to ear. “I’d do it again that’s for sure,” he said.

His favorite part was “the first shock of the air hitting you in the face … that wakes you up in a hurry,” Gene said while chuckling.

Experience Gene’s dive below!