When a child at a local pool was too afraid to jump off the diving board recently, a 95-year-old with spunk knew just what to do.
Michael Biss, a WWII and Korean War veteran, was determined to show the child how to be brave and take the plunge. Biss, however, was a bit unsteady on his feet — he needs the help of a cane to get around. So he had some hurdles of his own to overcome.
No worries. With the help of his family and friends — one of whom held an American flag — he clambered up onto the diving board, walked slowly toward the edge, little by little, and eventually took the plunge.
Christine Ross, the veteran’s daughter, recorded the big moment when her dad took his dive. (See the inspiring footage in the video below.)
“He is very spry for his age — he’s 95, soon to be 96 years old, and is both a WWII and Korean War veteran in the U.S. Air Force. He is full of amazing stories and has a song for every situation,” Christine Ross told USA Today [1].
His wife of 72 years is also a veteran — she served as an administrative aid in the Coast Guard.
Michael Biss’s grandson, Kevin, said of his grandfather, “Little did we know he would actually dive. He said soon after this video that he wants to be seen around the world.”
As of Wednesday, the video of the “big dive” (location still unknown as of now!) has been viewed over 5 million times.
Deirdre Reilly [2] is a senior editor with LifeZette. Follow her on Twitter [3].
(photo credit, homepage and article: YouTube)