Ah yes, the acceleration of the K8 snatching the wingtip right away from the hapless runner!
Add to that two failed launches (piano wire, this was in the old days when cable breaks were the norm), and the fact that SQUISHY CUSHIONS were part of the mix. Cushions shifted a bit, sudden acceleration, Mary gets pressed against the back of the seat and departs the controls!
No, I didn't try to hang onto the stick, that would have made things worse!
Pulling back on the stick when departing the controls adds up to high speed stall. And no way could I reach the release handle! (this was before new training emphasized HAND ON RELEASE!).
So I did nothing at all but rode the K8 up the wire, and by some happy chance the launch was smooth and directly into wind, and both of us (me and the K8) survived to fly another day.
Exactly that scenario did kill a young lady, squishy cushions, but she hung onto the stick and ....
Surprising how doing nothing may be the correct decision. Nowadays if you need cushions behind your back to be correctly seated, we use a stack of NEWSPAPERS, securely wrapped in tape and covered in fabric. These are non compressible.
And under your bum, a special type of foam impact cusion will can protect your spine if a heavy landing takes place.