A Georgia couple had their first date when they nearly died while hiking when they slipped off a waterfall. In August, Jordan Bennett and Zania Robinson were caught in a storm while hiking at DeSoto Falls in Georgia.
Robinson suffered severe facial injuries and Bennett two broken shoulders when the pair fell from the top of the waterfall, which was about 120 feet above the ground. They were forced to hike for 30 minutes while carrying their injuries.
The couple has since built a solid relationship, claiming that they are bonded forever. They were able to recover by each other’s side.
Surprisingly, Bennett’s life was also spared by the fall, as he was later diagnosed with stomach cancer and is currently undergoing treatment, Daily Mail reports.
Bennet and Robinson claim that their harrowing first date has led them to a life of enduring love. The two spoke with WXIA and discussed the moment that changed their lives.
“We took pictures, had our first kiss up there. It was a moment,” stated Robinson. Things got messy after their kiss, though, as the storm rolled in and they started to slide. “Without hesitation, it was just like, go get her. Instinct,” stated Bennett.
The couple was severely hurt when they fell. They were compelled to hike back for 30 minutes because they were so far from society. “I kept telling her, repeat after me. ‘You’re brave, you’re strong, you’ve got this,”‘ claimed Bennett, recounting the tragic day.
They managed to get to the emergency room eventually, where they were treated for their wounds right away. Robinson was worried that Bennett would lose interest in her because of the severe facial damage. “I felt ugly. I didn’t like what I looked like anymore. I didn’t think he would like me,” said Robinson.
But when they were finally able to see each other again, he asked her out right away “She said, ‘how do I look?’ I said, ‘You look beautiful.’ Just seeing her that way, it built a bond that won’t ever be broken,” stated Jordan
Bennett, however, kept getting worse as Robinson recovered from her injuries. Lori Chafin, the man’s mother, told WXIA that her son was not making any improvement at all. “He had lost a lot of weight, it was falling off of him. He didn’t have much of an appetite,” stated Chafin.
Benett’s condition turned out to be much worse than the doctors had initially anticipated. “The call came in — they diagnosed it with advanced stage 3 stomach cancer,” stated Bennett.
Despite the diagnosis, the man reportedly still maintains that his cancer was caught because of the accident. His family and Robinson are now supporting him throughout the battle. ‘It’s your baby, of course it’s hard. I can’t help him. I can be there and help with everything else, but I can’t take it from him. And that is hard,” said Chafin.
“I remember Jordan saying, ‘you’re strong, you’re brave, and you got this.’ And that really stuck with me,” said Robinson, saying that they now repeat the phrases as their personal mantra.
